Citizens’ rights mostly violated in foreign companies

Social and labor practices in some joint ventures and businesses with foreign capital operating in Azerbaijan are in violation of the national legislation and employees’ rights, the local trade unions body said.

“Observations show that rights violations mostly occur in foreign companies. In a number of these businesses, employers impede the establishment of trade unions and the signing of collective agreements,” chairman of the Confederation of Azerbaijani Trade Unions, Sattar Mehbaliyev, said.

“Local workers work overtime and receive wages less than those of expatriate specialists,” he said while presenting a report at the group’s congress on Tuesday.

Mehbaliyev added that over 13,000 of the 422,000 complaints and appeals filed to the confederation in the past five years dealt with presumed violations of labor rights.*