Turdimov: Teachers sent to forced labor must also be dismissed (video)

The acting governor of Syrdarya region, Erkinjon Turdimov, stated that teachers who engage in forced labor due to ignorance of their rights should also be dismissed. He made this remark on August 27 of this year at the 4th National Teachers’ Forum.

"Teachers must never be subjected to forced labor. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that if any school engages in forced labor, the director should be dismissed immediately. Moreover, the teacher who participates in such forced labor should also be dismissed. Because if someone is forced out, he or she has no awareness of their rights, lacks proper knowledge, or blindly follows orders when told to go out, then what kind of teacher is that?” Turdimov questioned.

He also addressed the issue of forced subscriptions in schools.

“The second issue that troubles me is the matter of subscriptions. If any teacher is forced to subscribe to a newspaper, I will dismiss that school’s director. Let everyone be aware of this. I will dismiss them immediately. If you want to subscribe, then subscribe yourself. You have your deputy directors, four or five of them. You have your supply manager. Do not touch the teachers", said the regional governor.

On March 27, 2023, the law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “on introducing amendments and additions to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Administrative Liability Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan in connection with strengthening liability for obstructing the performance of duties by pedagogical staff” was adopted and entered into force the following day. According to the amendment to Article 51 of the Administrative Liability Code (“Administrative compulsion to labor”), if such an offense is committed against a pedagogical employee of an educational institution, it will result in a fine ranging from 100 to 150 times the base calculation amount (BCA).

The same law also introduced an addition to Article 148-2 of the Criminal Code (“Administrative compulsion to labor”), under which compelling a person to work by administrative means in any form, except in cases provided for by law, when committed against a pedagogical employee of an educational institution, and repeated after an administrative penalty has already been imposed for the same act, will be punishable by a fine of 150 to 200 times the BCA, or deprivation of certain rights for up to three years, or correctional labor for up to three years. 

Furthermore, in line with the Presidential decree of August 14, 2018, “on measures to raise the system of educating spiritually, morally, and physically developed youth to a qualitatively new level,” public education staff are prohibited from being involved in work not related to their official duties, including compulsory labor such as urban improvement and landscaping, seasonal agricultural work, and other similar activities.

On May 10, 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution “on additional measures to eliminate forced labor in the Republic of Uzbekistan.”

It is worth noting that earlier this August, teachers of school no. 42 in the Marhamat district of the Andijan region were forced to participate in repair works. Although during a conversation with the school staff it was emphasized that this community work was carried out voluntarily, the school director was dismissed for failing to prevent the involvement of teachers in work beyond their professional duties. The director was also fined 100 times the base calculation rate, amounting to 41,2 million soums, under the provision prohibiting administrative coercion into labor.