Page 11 - FSUOGM Week 04 2021

FSUOGM POLICY FSUOGM

Ferghana refinery workers strike

over alleged layoff plans

UZBEKISTAN HUNDREDS of workers at the Altyaryk branch noting that as of January 19, however, the text of
of the Ferghana Oil Refinery in Uzbekistan have the statement in question had been replaced with
Disgruntled workers been on strike since January 10 amid claimed job "gibberish Latin known as Lorem ipsum", a term
have reportedly resorted cut plans, RFE/RL’s Uzbek service, Radio Ozod- for placeholder text that is inserted in websites
to sit-ins on the street to lik, has reported. under development.
drive their point home. Disgruntled workers have reportedly resorted Mamura Sayfutdinova, a spokesman for
to sit-ins on the street to drive their point home. FNPZ, denied that the Altyaryk plant had been
“Employees say the trouble began when the shuttered or that the workforce was slated for
plant came under the management of Jizzakh cutbacks.
Petroleum, a joint venture created in 2017 by “This is incorrect information. We are taking
state oil and gas company Uzbekneftegaz and steps to preserve jobs and wages for workers,” she
Russia’s Gazprom. Strikers say that there has told Eurasianet.
been no output for nine months”, Radio Ozodlik Ferghana Oil Refinery employee Sherzod,
said. who spoke to the media outlet on condition of
Management at the refinery has denied that anonymity, said that Altyaryk was indeed at a
mass layoffs are under consideration. standstill. Around 200 people have been moved
The workers of Ferghana Oil Refinery have to the company headquarters in the city of Fer-
held dozens of protests over the past year. gana, but plant personnel have been warned that
They are angry with changes that began at cutbacks may be coming, he said.
the plant after the refinery was transferred to the “Factory workers were told that 2,000 people
management of Jizzakh Petroleum. would be laid off from March this year. I have not
Eurasianet said Ferghana Oil Refinery, or signed dismissal papers yet. I told the manage-
FNPZ, the Jizzakh Petroleum-managed entity ment that I had no other profession and could
that includes Altyaryk among its assets, in not find another job. I believe that the cutbacks
June announced its was undertaking a $300 are illegal, we demand justice,” he was quoted as
million refurbishment of the plant with the saying.
aim of starting up production of Euro-5 Sherzod was further cited as saying that prior
standard gasoline. Work is slated for comple- to the Jizzakh Petroleum takeover, he was earn-
tion by 2023. ing 3 million Uzbek sum (about $300) monthly.
The news service also said that later, in After that, salaries were reduced by up to $150,
December, Jizzakh Petroleum stated on its web- he said. Other fringe benefits have also been
site that it had begun modernising the refinery, slashed, he claimed. ™

Week 04 27•January•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P11