One of the most important features of the conflict in Kazakhstan is the crucial role played by the independent labour unions in the current protests.The repression of independent unions has increased after the passage of the 2014 Labour Law and the harassment of union members in industrial centres like Shymkent. These have been the backbone of the popular protests. We used to have an office in Shymkent and I had a chat with some of the labour folk from there. They raised an important point which has largely gone unreported; that there has been contact between the Indpendent Union in Kazakhstan and those in the Independent Union structures in Russia. It is these contacts which have had such a laxative effect on Putin and provoked the military response. I await further news.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/18793665211041198

https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/inflation-amid-the-covid-19-pandemic-fuels-labor-unrest-in-kazakhstan/

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/what%E2%80%99s-really-behind-protests-kazakhstan-199070