Forced involvement of social workers in public works is unacceptable

Meeting, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister A.Aripov, was held at the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan on prohibition of forcing students, medical workers, educational institutions and representatives of other social spheres to field and landscaping activities, determination of personal responsibility measures at all levels.

It was noted that the President of Uzbekistan, at the meeting with Syrdarya region’s activists, regretted the death of Diana Yenikeyeva, a teacher of the secondary school No.42 of Kattakurgan district of Samarkand region, who was hit by a car. It was emphasized that such actions of local heads negatively affect the effectiveness of reforms and can be regarded as a betrayal against the policy pursued by the Head of the state.

It’s no secret that today the reason for a broad discussion in social networks and the mass media are cases of involvement by local khokimiyats of representatives of education and healthcare spheres in jobs not characteristic for their profession.

The facts of installing false greenhouses along the highway in Kashkadarya region, using labor of college students at a textile factory in Jizzakh region have been revealed. Workers of the social sphere of the city of Andijan, Khodjaabad, Markhamat, Kurgantepa, Djalakuduk districts are systematically involved in cleaning streets, improving makhallas, field works. These facts are allowed by some heads not only for the use of free labor, but for personal gain, which causes a fair discontent of the population.

It was revealed that the deputy khokim of Andijan region N.Rakhmonov, the khokim of the city of Andijan D.Rakhmatullayev at all meetings openly forced heads of preschool education institutions to purchase expensive seedlings of trees and flowers for improvement of streets at their own expense. If refused, threatened with dismissal.

Similar requirements were applied to employees of preschool education institutions in Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, Bukhara and Fergana regions, Gulistan city of Syrdarya region and Sergeli district of Tashkent.

At the initiative of the Head of the state, “Obod qishloq” (“Prosperous village”) program is being implemented at places. It’s no secret that khokims are illegally attracting employees of budget organizations to implementation of this program.

So, there have been recorded cases of mass attraction of school teachers to works within the framework of the program in makhallas “Okobod” of Ulugnor, “Shakhriobod” of Altynkul, “Golib” of Boz, “Turkiston” of Peshkun, “Ittifok” of Kushkupir, “Turkman” of Urgench districts. For construction and improvement works in the village of Jom of Nurabad district of Samarkand region, teachers and doctors were forced to labor not only in this but also in other districts.

In addition, there is a practice of widespread involvement of doctors and teachers in agricultural activities. Employees of some education institutions were involved in forced labor in Kungrad district of Karakalpakstan, Altynkul district of Andijan, Altynsay district of Surkhandarya, Pakhtachi district of Samarkand, some districts of Khorezm and Fergana regions.

When analyzing the situation at higher education institutions, it was revealed that in 2017/2018 academic year, 17 thousand students and teachers were involved in cleaning streets, 4 thousand in cleaning irrigation canals, 7 thousand in construction activities, 23 thousands in field works, weeding, chasing, and harvesting.

More than 9 thousand students and teachers in Karkalpakstan were involved in various labor works, 8,5 thousand in Andijan, 5 thousand in Jizzakh, 2,6 thousand in Namangan, and about 5,5 thousand in Tashkent regions.

At the meeting, the situation was severely criticized when the leaders of relevant spheres, instead of eliminating the problem, are sitting back and not taking concrete measures.

The Minister of Public Education U.Inoyatov, the Minister of Health A.Shodmonov, the khokim of Jizzakh region E.Soliyev were severely warned for irresponsible attitude to work, creation of conditions for forcing employees to social work, khokims of Samarkand and Kashkadarya regions were reprimanded.

At the meeting, a number of tasks on termination of forced involvement of social workers in public works were identified. The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, khokims of the regions and the city of Tashkent were instructed to critically examine the activities of responsible persons for landscaping works of the regional and district administrations, to organize state and public control in order to prevent violations of labor rights of workers, preventing forced labor and attracting citizens to public works. It is necessary to take special control over the voluntary use of workers, especially of budget organizations, in works in the spheres of agriculture, communal services, landscaping, construction, collection of secondary raw materials, and take effective measures in this direction.

UzA