Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 1, 2026 – Viktor Pinsky, Chairman of the Commission of the Russian State Duma on Regulations and Organisation of State Duma Activities and General Secretary of the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU), called the meeting of the GCTU Council, held on July 1 in Dushanbe, a landmark event for the trade unions of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

"For the first time in the 34-year history of our international organization, the GCTU Council meeting was held in the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe. This is a landmark event for the entire trade union movement of the CIS countries. By their very presence here, representatives of the national trade union centers of the Commonwealth confirm the principles of our common solidarity and unity in protecting the socio-labor interests of trade union members. Our countries are forever linked historically and geographically; we speak the same language, and our economies are deeply integrated. Labor migration within the Commonwealth continues, so it is important to continue forming a common space where workers feel comfortable regardless of citizenship, and where common, clear, and transparent mechanisms for protecting labor rights will operate," Viktor Pinsky said.

As Viktor Pinsky noted, for the second year now, off-site events have shown that the request from national trade union centers for live and in-person communication is more relevant than ever.

"That is the in-person participation in all GCTU events that makes the process of forming our common position faster and more productive. Mutual understanding and cooperation are growing not only between trade unions but also between the CIS countries as a whole," he emphasized.

The main topic of discussion at the meeting was the improvement of the social partnership system of the CIS member states.

The off-site meeting of the GCTU Council took place at the invitation of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Tajikistan and its Chairman, Karakhon Chillazoda.

The event was attended by representatives of the national trade union centers of the Republic of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as 20 international industry trade union associations. Additionally, for the first time, a delegation from the National Trade Union Center of Turkmenistan participated as guests in the GCTU Council meeting.

In addition, as part of the Council's work in Tajikistan, Viktor Pinsky met with the Deputy Minister of Labor, Employment, and Migration of the Republic of Tajikistan, Sharif Norzoda, and with deputies of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan, led by the Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, Public Associations, and Information, Makhmadshokh Gulzoda.

The General Confederation of Trade Unions is an international organization that unites national trade union centers of the Commonwealth countries and international industry trade union associations. A total of 33.5 million trade union members are under the protection of GCTU member organizations. The GCTU has observer status at the International Labor Organization and closely interacts with the bodies of the Eurasian Economic Union, participating in the development of model labor legislation.