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Ashgabat to host summit of Trade Union leaders from Central Asian nations and Azerbaijan
06 Jun. 08:34On the sidelines of the 114th session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, a strategic meeting was held between the heads of national Trade Union centers of Central Asian countries and officials from the International Labour Organization's Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV). The multilateral session also included active participation from trade union representatives of Azerbaijan and Mongolia, highlighting a unified regional approach to labor welfare.
A primary outcome of the Geneva talks was the synchronization of upcoming institutional meetings for the current year. The participants finalized the scheduling of the Summit of the Chairpersons of Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries and Azerbaijan, alongside a dedicated scientific-practical conference, to be hosted in Ashgabat in November of this year. This upcoming meeting directly aligns with the Regional Joint Action Plan for 2026–2027, signed between ACTRAV and the National Center of Trade Unions of Turkmenistan in May. The council focused on expanding institutional dialogue, promoting workers' legal safeguards, and reinforcing cross-border union interaction.
Furthermore, the diplomatic itinerary featured a high-level bilateral meeting between the Chairperson of the National Center of Trade Unions of Turkmenistan, Oguljennet Berdiliyewa, and the Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Satybaldy Dauletalin. The two officials reviewed prospective frameworks to scale up cooperation, protect workers' statutory interests, and optimize social partnership mechanisms between the sibling nations.
The head of the Kazakh trade union federation extended an official invitation to the Turkmen chairperson to conduct a working visit to Kazakhstan. The trip aims to formalize a Memorandum of Understanding between the national trade union centers of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to solidify long-term institutional commitments. Additionally, the Turkmen delegation was presented with an official invitation to participate in the upcoming Regional Trade Union meeting scheduled to take place in Almaty.
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Under the updated policy, every Singaporean child up to the age of 17 will be eligible to receive up to 70,000 Singapore dollars (approximately $55,000 USD) in total support, which includes cash payouts, educational grants, and related benefits. The government is also expanding paid parental leave and capping monthly out-of-pocket costs for government-subsidized childcare at 150 Singapore dollars.
These interventions aim to reverse a severe demographic decline, marked by last year's fertility rate drop to 0.87 children per woman, while over 20% of the country's population is currently aged 65 or older.
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