On April 21, employees of Kásіbі Táńdaý LLP staged a strike at the Tengiz oil field in western Kazakhstan, demanding a 50 percent wage increase, according to the local outlet Ak Zhaik.
The strike began with warehouse workers and soon expanded to include the company’s transport department, where employees demanded a 100 percent pay raise. In a video address, the workers cited rising inflation and urged authorities not to take repressive measures against them.
According to Inbusiness.kz, more than 140 workers took part in the protest.
Kásіbі Táńdaý LLP is a subcontractor of Caspian Offshore Construction Realty LLP (COCR), which provides transportation services for Tengizchevroil LLP, the main developer of the Tengiz oil field. In December last year, around 100 COCR workers staged a protest demanding better accommodations during shift work.
Strikes like these are a recurring phenomenon in Kazakhstan’s western regions, where the economy is heavily reliant on the oil and gas industry. Between late 2023 and early 2024, a wave of protests swept across Mangystau Province. Among them were extended strikes by West Oil Software workers, who demanded to be integrated into the national oil company KazMunayGas, included in the unified wage system, and provided with updated equipment and infrastructure.
In mid-January, employees of the drilling company Great Wall (Aktau) appealed to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, calling for a comprehensive investigation into the company and voicing concerns over potential job cuts.
Later that month, around 800 workers at Kezbi LLP in Zhanaozen launched a strike, demanding a 50 percent wage increase, modernization of equipment, and the dismissal of several managers they held responsible for the company’s ongoing problems.
