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18 November, 2007
The ICEM affiliate, Oil and Gas Workers’ Union of Azerbaijan (AzOGWU), came to terms over a historic social development contract, covering 65,000 workers of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR).
Announcement of the pact came at AzOGWU’s Third Ordinary Congress in Baku on 2 November, by the union’s president, Jahangir Aiyev, and Socar President, Rövneq Abdullayev. The agreement amounts to a detailed social plan for all departments, sections, and workplaces of SOCAR. It also comes immediately after sizeable wage gains and working conditions were negotiated.
Foremost to the social plan is a SOCAR commitment to provide free of charge housing to 6,000 employees between now and 2010. Assurances of health and safety upgrades is part of the social development plan. Employees in all departments will also realise better transportation allowances, and safer and more modern sea transportation to offshore worksites. The social plan also spells out better catering, creation of sports and cultural centres, and other amenities for workers.
AzOGWU’s Congress, attended by 250 delegates, re-elected Jahangir Aiyev as President, and Fetullah Mustafayev as Vice President. Special guests at the Congress included Lev Mironov, ICEM Vice President and President of the Russian Oil and Gas Workers Union (ROGWU); Ivan Mochnachuk, also an ICEM Vice President and President of the Russian Independent Coal Employees’ Union; Mustafa Öztaskin, President of Turkey’s Petrol-Iş; and Kemal Özkan, ICEM’s Chemicals and Rubber Industries Officer.