Sherzod Kudbiyev: Over 200 executives were punished for forced labor in cotton harvesting

This year, more than 200 principals were held accountable for violations related to forced labor during the cotton harvesting campaign, Sherzod Kudbiyev, the Minister of Employment and Labor Relations of Uzbekistan, said during a discussion of the results of preliminary monitoring by a third party of the International Labor Organization on Wednesday.

According to him, 30% of those prosecuted are khokims and chief law enforcement officials. They have been taken measures up to demotion or dismissal.

Replying to questions of journalists, the Minister of Labor commented on the cases in two districts of Tashkent region, when six public servants stood in knee-deep water in a ditch and another six were holding big lumps of soil in their hands.

Following the special presidential decree and the Prime Minister’s meeting on the inadmissibility of forced labor, Sherzod Kudbiyev called it unprecedented – “Before, the government of Uzbekistan did not take such organizational measures,” Mr. Kudbiyev said.

It should be recalled that ex-deputy PM Zoyir Mirzayev, who was present at the indicated incidents, was demoted to the khokim of a district.