Young workers lead Kyrgyzstan’s construction union

Amidst the constant threats and attacks against trade unionists and workers in general, the Kyrgyzstan Construction Workers’ Union held its Congress on 12 June and elected a new generation of trade union leaders to lead the fight for workers’ rights and welfare. 

The union unanimously elected Eldiar Karachalov as president of the union, following after Toktogul Sultakeev, who was lauded for his outstanding leadership and mentorship of the union’s new generation of leaders. 

Congress delegates hoped that with the union’s new generation of leaders, it will help revitalize the trade union movement and build up new strategies to win the fight for workers’ rights in Kyrgyzstan. They said that the union is facing enormous challenges, particularly the government’s attempt to introduce anti-union laws and police pressure against trade union leaders and activists in the middle of a pandemic. 

BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson warmly welcomed the union’s Congress. 

“It is great to see that more and more young people are taking the lead in the broad trade union movement. Eldiar is well-known in the BWI family as a champion of trade union activism and member of BWI’s European Regional Youth Committee. His union can rely on BWI to always support their fight for free and democratic trade unionism in Kyrgyzstan,” Yuson ended.