Doctors in Surkhandarya forced into labor ahead of governor’s visit

On Sunday, 2 November, QALAMPIR.UZ received a complaint stating that medical workers in Angor district of Surkhandarya region had been called to work en masse and subjected to forced labor. According to the complainant, the reason was the anticipated visit of the regional governor, Ulugbek Qosimov.

“Even though today is Sunday, medical workers are being forcibly mobilized for work. The regional governor is expected to come on Wednesday and said he wants to inspect the hospital. Because of this, everyone has been called in today and made to work,” the complainant said.

On 14 November, the Ministry of Poverty Reduction and Employment commented on the situation. It was reported that the State Labor Inspectorate conducted an investigation.

Although officials claimed that the work had been carried out with employees’ consent, the deputy head of the Angor District Medical Association — who was involved in assigning employees to tasks unrelated to their official duties — was fined under Part 1 of Article 49 of the Administrative Code (Violation of labor and labor protection legislation). The fine amounted to ten times the basic calculation amount, or 4 million 120 thousand soums.

It is worth noting that earlier, in Kumkurgan district of Surkhandarya region, the deputy governor of the district and head of the Women and Family Affairs Department, Nigora Jumayeva, mobilized women for forced labor — namely, cotton picking — ahead of a visit by Zulaykho Mahkamova, chair of the Women’s Committee. At that time, district officials claimed the women had participated “voluntarily,” saying they joined the cotton harvest “of their own free will.” However, it was later confirmed that the women had indeed been forced to work, and Jumayeva was fined under Part 1 of Article 51 of the Administrative Code (Administrative coercion to labor).