Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On the first working day of the plenary session, information was read about the study by the Senate Committee on Women and Gender Equality of the state of protection of women’s labor rights at light industry and leather enterprises.

It was noted that today over 7,400 enterprises in the republic’s light industry system employ over 360,000 people. More than 70 percent of them are women. The number of enterprises employing more than 100 women is 258. At 13 enterprises belonging to Uzcharmsanoat, 50-100 women are employed.

Particular attention was paid to providing the workers of these enterprises with free meals and the creation of appropriate working conditions.

Despite this, at enterprises of the light industry and the leather industry, employers allow cases of violation of the requirements of the legislation on the creation of favorable, safe working conditions for women.

In particular, contrary to the requirements of the Labor Code, the company does not have a collective agreement between the employer and employees. There are cases of application of a probationary period when hiring women with children under the age of three years without establishing a working day reduced by 1 hour, as well as not providing additional paid leave of at least three working days per year to women who have two or more children aged under twelve years of age, as well as children with disabilities under the age of sixteen.

In addition, employees are not paid compensation for exceeding the minimum annual leave (fifteen working days) at their discretion during the period of work, although collective agreements provide for additional leave depending on the total length of service. In practice, cases are allowed when these holidays are not provided and the rules of internal labor discipline, job descriptions are not developed.

Despite the fact that the staff of the enterprise passed the initial medical examination, periodic medical examinations were not carried out. At the expense of the enterprise, free treatment of pregnant women is not provided in medical institutions (sanatoriums) or sanatoriums-dispensaries owned by the enterprise.

In accordance with the Regulation approved by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan from 15 September 2014 No. 263, the enterprises allowed cases of non-certification of existing jobs.

As a result, women who perform hard, inconvenient, harmful or dangerous work are not provided with benefits and compensations provided for by the law, and control over working conditions in the workplace is not organized at the proper level.

In addition, workers are not provided with the individual and collective protective equipment necessary for work.

Creation of the necessary working conditions for women in the system, their labor protection remains only in the jurisdiction of the employer, therefore, the requirements set out in the Labor Code are not observed. As a result, accidents and deaths of workers are observed at enterprises. No Women Representative for Occupational Safety and Health has been elected.

In addition, the creation of the necessary working conditions for women, the activities of state and local authorities responsible for the implementation of labor protection legislation are not up to the mark.

A number of other shortcomings were revealed in the effective use of the opportunities of non-governmental organizations, including international labor law organizations, in creating the necessary working conditions for women in the spheres.

Taking into account the above, in accordance with Article 12 of the Constitutional Law "On the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan" and Article 14 of the Law "On Parliamentary Control", the Senate adopted a resolution on sending a parliamentary inquiry to the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the state of protection of women’s labor rights in light industry enterprises and leather industry