Workers Strike In West Kazakhstan, Demanding Salary Increase

Almas Sherkeshbaev, the prosecutor-general for Atyrau's Zhylyoi district in Kazakhstan.

ATYRAU, Kazakhstan -- Workers for a construction company involved in renovating the U.S.-Kazakh Tengizchevroil Oil Company factory in the western Kazakhstan city of Atyrau have gone on strike, demanding a salary raise.

The workers, who launched the strike on January 26, are demanding that their current monthly salaries -- which amount to 80,000-90,000 tenges ($530-600) -- be raised to 150,000 tenges ($995).

The prosecutor-general in Atyrau’s Zhylyoi district, Almas Sherkeshbaev, told RFE/RL that his office had received the workers’ complaint and started studying the situation.

Some 200 workers are reported to be involved in the strike.

A stand-off between striking oil workers and security forces in another western Kazakh town, Zhanaozen, ended violently in mid-December leaving at least 16 dead.