Gold mining and migration: Uzbekistan and Russia discuss expanding labor cooperation

The Russian gold mining industry is experiencing a shortage of labor, and the solution to this problem is increasingly associated with attracting labor migrants from Central Asian countries. One of the largest players in the industry, the Arbat Concern, operating in the Magadan region, announced its intention to increase the number of employees from Uzbekistan.

To date, the company already employs more than 900 citizens of Uzbekistan. These are not temporary seasonal workers, but employees engaged on a permanent basis in gold mining at 11 industrial facilities in the region. The focus is on machinists, drivers, mechanics and other technical specialists who are able to work effectively in the Far North.

During a recent working trip to the Magadan region, representatives of the Consulate General of Uzbekistan met with Alexander Basansky, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the concern. During the talks, both the current situation and prospects for expanding the labor participation of Uzbek citizens in the company's projects were discussed.

The Concern identified the need for qualified labor and expressed its readiness to provide employees from Uzbekistan with a full social package: competitive wages, free housing and food. This, according to the management, is necessary to ensure stability and productivity in the fields.

Representatives of the Uzbek side confirmed their interest in developing legal channels of labor migration, emphasizing that the recruitment process should comply with the provisions of the current presidential decree on safe and organized labor migration. Mechanisms for monitoring and protecting workers ' rights are also part of the cooperation under discussion.

Following the talks, the parties agreed to initiate a direct dialogue with the Agency for External Labor Migration of Uzbekistan. It is expected that in the near future, approval of the conditions for legal employment and mechanisms for selecting candidates for work in the concern will begin.

Against the background of growing demand for resources and the ongoing restructuring of global logistics chains, Russia is increasing its production capacity in remote areas. This requires a steady flow of labor, especially when the domestic labor market is not able to meet all the needs. For Uzbekistan, in turn, this format of cooperation becomes a tool for regulating migration, increasing employment and foreign exchange earnings in the country.

The upcoming consultations with migration authorities and the potential expansion of contractual quotas may set a new standard for cooperation between the two countries in the field of labor mobility.