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Table of Contents

Exec utive Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 4

KeyRecommendations.........................................................................................................................................................7To the Government of Uzbekistan ......................................................... ......................................... ...........7

To the International Labor Organization ..................................... ......................................... ..................7

To the World Bank and Asian Development Bank ............................ ......................................... ...........7

To the United States and European Union ................................................. ......................................... ... 8

To Companies That Use Cotton ......................................... ......................................... ............................... 8

Methodology .............................................................................................................................................................9

Introduc tion ............................................................................................................................................................ 13

Forced Labor Sy stem of Cotton Produc tion in 2015..................................................................................... 16

NationalPlanandCoercionofFarmers......................................................................................................................16

PunitiveMeasuresAgainstFarmers............................................................................................................................17

FearandControlthroughCottonMeetings............................................................... .............................................. 18

Forced Mobilization of Labor

in 2015 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 20

MandatoryParticipationintheHarvest.....................................................................................................................21

MobilizationOrders.............................................................................................................................................................22

Students ..........................................................................................................................................................25

Education and Medical Workers ...................................... .......................................... .............................27

PickorPay................................................................................................................................................................................30

MobilizationofTeachersandImpactonEducation...............................................................................................31

MobilizationofMedicalWorkersandImpactonHealthCare........................................................................32

ForcedChildLabor...............................................................................................................................................................33Corruption and Econom ic Opportun ity ........................................................................................................ 35

WageViolationsandLossestoWorkersfromPaymentsandCosts............................................................35

Climate of Fear........................................................................................................................................................39

Coercion and Vulnerability .................................................................... ......................................... ..........41

Persecution of I ndependent Mo nitors .......................................................................................................... 43

HomeBurningandChargesagainstDmitryTikhonov.......................................................................................43

ArrestandSentencingofUktamPardaev..................................................................................................................45

ArbitraryDetentionsandIll-treatmentofElenaUrlaeva..................................................................................45

ArrestsofMalohatEshankulovaandElenaUrlaeva.......................................... .............................................. .... 46

ILO and World Bank Engage ment in Uzbekis tan ....................................................................................... 48

MethodologicalShortcomings..................................................................... .............................................. ................... 50

PublicAwarenessCampaignandFeedbackMechanism...................................................................................52

ILOIndicatorsofForcedLabor.......................................................................................................................................55

Abuse of vulnerability ..... ..... ...... ...... ..... ..... ..... ...... ...... ..... ..... ..... ...... ..... ..... ..... ...... ...... ..... ..... ..... ...... ..... .....55

Deception ......................................................................................................................................................55

Restriction of movement ..................................... .......................................... ......................................... . 56

Isolation ........................................................................................................................................................ 56

Physical and sexual violence ...................................... ......................................... .................................... 56

Intimidation and threats ........................ .......................................... ......................................... ................57

Withholding of wages .................................... .......................................... ......................................... .........57

Debt bondage .............................................................................................................................................. 58 Abusive working and living conditions ...... ...... ...... ..... ..... ..... ...... ..... ..... ..... ...... ..... ..... ..... ...... ...... ..... .... 58

Excessive overtime .................................................................................................................................... 59


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Table of Contents

Recommendations ............................................................................................................................................... 60

TotheGovernmentofUzbekistan................................................................................................................................60TotheInternationalLaborOrganization.............................. .............................................. ....................................... 61

TotheWorldBank......................................... ............................................... .............................................. ......................... 61

TotheUnitedStatesandEuropeanUnion.................................................................................................................62

ToCompaniesThatUseCotton......................................................................................................................................62

Appendix .................................................................................................................................................................. 64

ListofTerms...........................................................................................................................................................................64

TheUzbekGovernment’sForcedLaborSystemChainofCommand..........................................................65

LegalStandards.....................................................................................................................................................................66


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Executive Summary

Theevidencefromthe2015cottonharvestinUzbekistanindicatesthatthegovernmenthas

notundertakenreformstoenditssystematicuseofforcedlabor.Yetthe2015cottonharvestin

Uzbekistandifferedfrompreviousyearsinasignificantway:Whilethegovernmentcontinued

toforcemorethanamillionpeopletopickcottonandfarmerstogrowcottonunderthreatofpenalty,itdidsowhilemakingsignificanteffortstoprojecttheappearanceofcooperationwiththe

InternationalLabourOrganization(ILO)andtoclaimcompliancewithitscommitmentstotheWorld

Banktoapplylaborlaws.

TheUzbekgovernmenthadalotatstake.TheWorldBankhasinvestedmorethan$500millionUSD

inUzbekistan’sagriculturalsector.FollowingacomplaintfromUzbekcivilsociety,theBankattached

loancovenantsstipulatingthattheloanscouldbestoppedandsubjecttorepaymentifforcedor

childlaborwasdetectedinprojectareasbymonitorsfromtheInternationalLaborOrganization,

contractedbytheWorldBanktocarryoutlabormonitoringduringtheharvest.

Insteadofgoodfaitheffortstoreform,thegovernmentappearedtodoubledownoncoercion.The

government’s2015“re-optimization”planforagriculturepunishedfarmersindebtorwhofailed

tomeetproductionquotasbytakingbacktheirland.Underanotherplanknownas“Cleaver,”the

primeministerorderedbailiffsandpolicetorepossessthefarmers’propertyfordebtsorunfulfilled

productionquotas.Theyconfiscatedlivestock,tractors,eventelevisionswithoutcourtordersor

valuationprocesses.Asinpreviousyears,thegovernmentimposedcottonproductionquotason

farmersandexertedcontrolovereveryaspectofproduction.Thegovernment’sprocurementprice

forcotton,setatlessthanproductioncosts,andsystemofgovernment-controlledmonopoliesfor

agriculturalinputsandpurchasing,conspiredtokeepfarmersinacycleofcripplingdebt.


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Toharvestcotton,officialsonceagainforcedmorethanamillionpeople,includingstudents,

teachers,doctors,nurses,andemployeesofgovernmentagenciesandprivatebusinessestothe

cottonfields,againsttheirwillandunderthreatofpenalty,especiallylosingtheirjobs.

Thegovernmentforciblymobilizedteachersandmedicalworkerstothefieldsenmasse,despite

statedpolicycommitmentsnottorecruitfromthesesectors.Peoplepickedcottonforshiftsof

15–40days,workinglonghoursandenduringabysmallivingconditions,includingovercrowding

andinsufficientaccesstosafedrinkingwaterandhygienefacilities.Peoplewiththemeanscould

avoidfieldworkbyhiringreplacementworkerstopickcottonintheirnameorbypayingofftheirsupervisors.Officialsandbusinessowners,themselvesunderpressuretosupportthenational

plan,ordered40%ormoreoftheiremployeestopickcotton,ofteninwrittendirectives.TheUzbek-

GermanforHumanRightsobtainedseveralexamples,includedinanonlinetableofdocuments1,

thatillustratethestateorganizationofforcedlaboronamassivescale.

Uzbekcitizenssubsidizedthegovernment’scotton

industrywiththeirlaborandincomes.Throughextensive

fieldresearchthroughout2015,wefoundthatcotton

workisnotviewedbythevastmajorityofpeopleasan

opportunitytosupplementincomes.Instead,theforced

laborsystemofcottonproductionexactedasignificant

economictollonmanyworkers,whoearnedlittleor

failedtoearnenoughtocovertheircostsandjustify

theassociatedrisksandpersonalandprofessional

disruptions.

Thegovernmentalsounderminededucationandhealth

carebymobilizingteachersandhealthcareworkers

enmasseacrossthecountryforlongshiftsaswellas

dailycottonwork,leavingschoolsandmedicalfacilities

understaffed.Employeeswhoremainedatworkwhiletheircolleaguespickedcottonhadtoworkextrafor

noovertimepaytocovertheircolleagues’absences,

especiallyassomeinstitutionssuchasschoolsand

hospitalsexperiencedtremendouspressuretoappearto

befunctioningnormally.Manycolleges(theequivalent

ofhighschool)anduniversitiessuspendedclasses

entirelyforstudentsattheharvest,or,inthecaseof

somecolleges,nominallyheldclassesonlyforfirst-and

second-yearstudentswhilethird-yearstudentspicked.

Apowerfulclimateoffearpervadedtheharvestseasonandfacilitatedthegovernment’sforced

mobilizationofworkers.Nearlyeveryonewespokewithduringtheseasonindicatedthattheywere

directlythreatenedorunderstoodimplicitthreatsiftheyrefusedtopickcotton,mostcruciallythat

theywouldlosetheirjobs.Theclimateoffearpreventedpeoplefromusingacomplainthotlinerun

bytheLaborMinistryandstate-controlledtradeunionfederation,andfromspeakingopenlytothe

ILO’smonitoringteams,whichwerecomprisedofoneinternationalmemberandfiveofficialsfrom

governmentorgovernment-controlledorganizations.

Thegovernmentunleashedanunprecedentedcampaignofharassmentandpersecutionagainst

independentmonitorstoattempttocoverupitsuseofforcedlaborwhiletakingpainstomake

1 SeeDocumentaryEvidence,availableat:http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence.

http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence


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widespread,massiveforced

mobilizationappearvoluntary.Insome

casesitforcedteachers,students,and

medicalworkerstosignstatements

attestingthattheypickedcottonoftheir

ownwillandagreeingtodisciplinary

measures,includingbeingfiredorexpelled,iftheyfailedtopickcotton.

Itinstructedpeopletolietomonitors

sayingtheycametopickcottonoftheir

ownvolition.Officialsalsorepeatedly

arrested,assaulted,andfabricated

chargesagainstcitizensdocumenting

forcedlabor,includingUzbek-German

Forum’smonitors.

Despitethegovernment’seffortsto

coverupforcedlaborandimpede

effectivemonitoring,theILOconcluded

thatforcedlaborremainsaproblem

andsignificantreformeffortsare

needed.Despitethesefindings,the

Uzbekgovernmentcontinuedto

receiveWorldBankfunds.Asdetailed

inthefinalchapterofthisreport,the

Uzbek-GermanForumurgestheUzbek

governmenttoendthecoercionand

corruptionthatpervadeitscottonsectorandviolatetherightsofits

citizens,andcallsontheWorldBank,

UnitedStates,EuropeanUnionandILO

toholdTashkentaccountableforits

internationalcommitments.


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Key Recommendations

To the Government of Uzbekistan

• Enforcenationallawsthatprohibittheuseofforcedandchildlaborinalignmentwithratified

ILOconventions;

• Makepublic,high-levelpolicystatementscondemningforcedlabor,specificallyincluding

forcedlaborinthecottonsector,andmakingclearthatallworkshouldbevoluntaryandfairly

compensated;

• Instructgovernmentofficialsatalllevelsandcitizensthatactonbehalfofthegovernmentto

notusecoerciontomobilizeanyonetowork,includingfarmers,children,students,public-

sectorworkers,private-sectorworkers,pensioners,mothersandothersreceivingpublicwelfare

support,andtheunemployed;

• Allowindependentjournalists,humanrightsdefenders,andotherindividualsandorganizations

todocumentandreportconcernsabouttheuseofforcedlaborwithoutfearofreprisals;

• Ensureanimmediate,prompt,independentandeffectiveinvestigationintoreprisalsagainst

independentmonitors;

• RatifyandimplementILOConventionNo.87onFreedomofAssociationandProtectionofthe

RighttoOrganize;and

• Initiateatime-boundplantoreformrootcausesofforcedlaborintheagriculturesector.

To the International Labor Organization

• Establish,monitorandreportonclearbenchmarksforthegovernmentofUzbekistantofulfill

itscommitmentstoimplementthefundamentallaborconventionsoftheILO,includingthe

eliminationofstate-orchestratedforcedlaborofchildrenandadultsinthecottonsector;

• EnsuretheparticipationoftheIOE,ITUC,andInternationalUnionofFoodWorkers(IUF)aswell

asregularconsultationwithindependentUzbekcivilsocietygroupsinthedevelopmentand

implementationofallmonitoringandtechnicalassistanceactivitiesinUzbekistan;

• Raiseconcernsaboutthesafetyandaccessofindependentmonitorspubliclyandatthehighest

levelsandmakeclearthattheirabilitytoworkunimpededisavitalsignofthegovernment’s

goodfaithandrequirementforILOassistance;

To the World Bank and Asian Development Bank

• SuspenddisbursementsuntiltheUzbekgovernmentdemonstratesmeaningfulprogress

reformingtherootcausesofforcedlabour,itsfinancialsystemthatincentivizesofficialstouse

coercionandrepressionofcitizenswhoreportviolations;

• EngageandworkwiththeUzbekgovernmenttodevelopandimplementatime-boundplanto

reformrootcausesofforcedlaborintheagriculturesector;

• Ensurerobustandfullyindependentthird-partymonitoringofcompliancewithcorelabor

conventionsintheprojectareas;


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• Establishaconfidentialandaccessiblegrievancemechanismandprovideeffectiveremedies,

includinglegalandfinancial,toanypersonwhoissubjectedtoforcedlaborintheprojectareas;

• Takeallnecessarymeasurestopreventreprisalsagainstcommunitymembers,journalists,

andindependentorganizationsformonitoringorreportingonhumanrightsviolationsin

theseareas,forengagingwiththeBank’sprojectmonitors,orforfilingcomplaints,including

byseekinganenforceablecommitmentfromthegovernmentthatitwillnotinterferewithindependentreportingandengagement.

To the United States and European Union

• UrgethegovernmentofUzbekistantoenditsuseofforcedlaborincludingbyimplementingthe

specificrecommendationsabove.

• IntheU.S.,placeUzbekistaninTier3inthe2016GlobalTraffickinginPersonsReportanduntil

thestate-orchestratedforced-laborsystemforcottonproductionisended.

• ExcludecottonfromUzbekistanfrombenefittingfromtradepreferencesundertheGeneralized

SystemofPreferences(GSP)untilthegovernmentofUzbekistanendsitsforced-laborsystemof

cottonproduction.

• Investigateandprosecutecompaniesthatarebenefittingfromorcontributingtotheforced

laborsystemofcottonproductionthatareinviolationofinternationalandnationallaws.

To Companies That Use Cotton

• SigntheCottonPledge“tonotknowinglysourceUzbekcottonforthemanufacturingofanyof

ourproductsuntiltheGovernmentofUzbekistanendsthepracticeofforcedchildandadultlaborinitscottonsector.”


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Methodology

Ateamof22experiencedmonitorsworking

withtheUzbek-GermanForumforHumanRights(UGF)carriedoutresearchinsixregionsin

Uzbekistan:theTashkent,Syrdarya,Jizzakh,Kashkadarya,Andijan,andBukhararegionsand

inthreedistrictsinKarakalpakstan.2Jizzakh,Syrdarya,andKashkadaryaarethethreeregions

inUzbekistanthatproducethemostcotton.ResidentsofTashkentmobilizedtopickcottonaregenerallysenttooneofthesethreeregions.InmostcasesmonitorsarefluentinbothUzbekand

Russian.In2015ourmonitorscarriedoutresearchthroughoutthecottonproductioncycle,starting

inthespringtimeperiodoffieldpreparationandthroughtheharvest,whichstartedinearly

SeptemberconcludedinearlyNovember.

Ourmonitorshavereceivedextensivetrainingonresearchmethodologybyanexpertinlabor

lawwithmorethan20years’experienceworkingwiththeInternationalLaborOrganization(ILO).

MonitorshaveathoroughknowledgeofUzbeklaborlawaswellasinternationallawsandregulations

concerningforcedlabor.Researchershave,onaverage,fiveyears’experiencemonitoringlaborand

humanrightsissuesrelatedtothecottonharvest.Theyliveintheregionsthattheymonitorand

haveadeepunderstandingofthelocalcontextincludingtheprevalenceoffearinthepopulation.

Theyhaveestablishednetworksofrelatives,neighbors,colleagues,andacquaintanceswhoprovide

informationandareexperiencedinidentifyingtheplacesandinstitutionsthatsendworkersto

pickcotton,andinconductinginterviewsindangerousconditionswithoutputtingrespondentsat

risk.SeveraloftheUzbek-GermanForum’smonitorsthemselvesparticipatedinthecottonharvest.

Monitorsincludefarmers,teachers,andjournalistsfromlocalagriculturalpublications.Theirown

information,supportedbyphotographsandvideo,providedanadditionalkeysourceofinformation.

Ourmonitorsexperiencedsignificant

harassmentandinterferencebythe

Uzbekgovernmentin2015asitmadeeffortstoappearcooperativewithILO

monitoringandcompliantwithWorld

Bankagreementswhilecontinuingto

useforcedlabor.Governmentofficials

attemptedtopreventmonitorsfrom

observingmassmobilizationofpeople

toharvest,speakingwithpeoplebeing

senttopickcotton,visitingcotton

fields,attendingmeetings,orgathering

documents.Severalmonitorsfaced

severereprisalsforconductingthis

work,asexplainedinfurtherdetail

laterinthisreport.Somehadtocurtail

theirmonitoringduetoharassment

andinterference.In2015,monitors

carriedoutresearchusingavarietyof

methods,includingthefollowingsix

mainmethods:

2 Seemonitoringmap.KarakalpakstanisanautonomousrepublicwithinUzbekistanthatcovers160,000square

kilometers(62,000squaremiles)inNorthwesternUzbekistan.Itisthesiteofa$260millionWorldBankfunded

projecttosupportthemodernizationofirrigationandagriculture.Weconductedmonitoringinthreedistricts:

Beruni,Ellikkala,Turtkul,thesitesofWorldBank-fundedprojects.

Ourmonitorswenttothecottonfieldsinformingthepickers

abouttheirrightsandhandingoverinformationflyers.


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Method 1: Observation and documentation of mobilization of workers and brief interviews

Thelargestorganizedmassmobilizationofworkerstolivenearthefieldsandpickcottonfor

extendedshifts(asopposedtodailyshifts)tookplacefromSeptember6–15.Duringthistime

monitorsvisitedhokimiyats(regionalanddistrictadministrations)andotherlocationswhere

workersweregatheredandsenttothefields,usuallyonbuses.Wherepossible,monitorsconducted

briefinterviewswithworkersaboutthecircumstancesoftheirmobilization,includingvoluntarinessofmobilizationandlengthofshift.Theseinterviewsweregenerallyanonymousgiventherisksto

workers.

Inaddition,overthecourseoftheresearchperiod,monitorsconductedshortinterviewswith

400peoplewhotookdirectpartinthecottonharvestorpaidtoavoidpickingcotton.Throughout

SeptemberandOctobertheUzbek-GermanForumsent42notificationsofconcretecasesofforced

labortolaborunionsinUzbekistan,whichwereoperatingahotlinetoreportforcedlaborin

conjunctionwiththegoverned,andcopiedtheILO.Noneofthesenotificationsreceivedareply.In

threeseparatecases,however,welearnedthatlocalofficialsharassedthevictimsofforcedlabor

becauseofourintervention,includingbywarningthemnottotalktointernationalmonitors.

Method 2: Visits to institutions

Monitorsvisitedinstitutionssuchashospitals,schools,universities,andbusinessesthroughoutthe

cottonharvesttoconductshortinterviews.Ineachregionmonitorsvisitedatleastfiveschools,three

hospitalsorclinics,fivecolleges 3,auniversity,alargemarket,andfivegovernmentinstitutions.

Monitorsdocumentedthenumberofpeoplesenttopickcottonfromeachoftheseinstitutionsand

corroboratedthefindingsinlaterinterviews.Monitorsfound,onaverage,thatbetween25–50%

ofemployeesofeachinstitutionaswellasmoststudentsover18,wereatthefieldsthroughoutthe

harvest.

Method 3: Document collection

Monitorscollecteddocuments

indicatingtheforcednatureof

themobilizationofcottonpickers.

Theevidencegatheredincludes

orderssignedbydirectorsofprivate

enterprisestosendworkerstothe

harvest,decreesbyhokims(districtand

regionalgovernors)orderingemployees

ofpublicinstitutionstoparticipatein

theharvest,notessignedbystudents

declaringtheir“voluntaryparticipation

inthecottonharvest,”andsocialmedia

posts,primarilybystudents,discussing

theconditionsofmobilization,

extortion,andthedifficultlivingand

workingconditionsinthecottonfields.4

3 InUzbekistan,acollegeistheequivalentofhighschooloruppersecondaryschool.First-yearstudentsareusually

16yearsold;second-yearstudentsareusually17;third-yearstudentsareusually18.

4 SeeDocumentaryEvidence,availableat:http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence.

http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence.http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence.


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Method 4: Local media monitoring

Themonitorstrackedlocalnewspapersthatpublishedarticlespropagandizingthecottonharvestas

wellasotherlocalandinternationalreportingonthecottonharvest.Someofthesearticlesfeature

employeesofvariousinstitutions,includingmedicalworkers,teachers,universitystudentsand

third-yearcollegestudents,workinginthecottonfields.Thearticlesindicatethatmobilizationof

workerswasorganizedbythelocalauthorities,whichalsobestowedprizes,suchasteakettlesorcottonseedoil,onthebestcottonpickers.5

Method 5: Visits to cotton fields

Monitorsvisitedatleastsixhousingfacilitiesforpickersandfivecottonfieldsinvariousregionsto

observeworkers,documentlaborconditions,andinterviewcottonpickers.Duetostrictcontrols,

itwasonlysafeformonitorstoundertakevisitstoworkerhousingintheKhorezmandSyrdarya

regions.Monitorsconductedbriefinterviewswithcottonpickers,primarilycollegeanduniversity

students,andtookphotos,audioandvideorecordingsofinterviewsandworkingconditions.6

Method 6: Detailed interviews

Followingtheharvest,monitorsconducteddetailedinterviewswithpeoplewhopickedcotton

ormadeapayment,usingquestionnairesdevelopedinconsultationwithspecialists,including

legalexpertsandsociologists.Monitorsconducted97detailedinterviews,includingwith25

schoolteachers,25students,10farmers,15employeesofgovernmentinstitutions,15medical

workers,and7entrepreneurs.

5 SeeCottonChronicles2015,Uzbek-GermanForumforHumanRights,availableat:

http://uzbekgermanforum.org/category/cotton-chronicle/.6 SomeofthesephotosandrecordingsareavailableontheindependentnewsandanalysiswebsiteElTuz,

http://www.eltuz.com/?p=557.

http://uzbekgermanforum.org/category/cotton-chronicle/http://www.eltuz.com/?p=557http://www.eltuz.com/?p=557http://uzbekgermanforum.org/category/cotton-chronicle/


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TheUzbek-GermanForumforHumanRightshasconductedin-depthmonitoringoflaborandhuman

rightsissuesrelatedtothecottonharvestsince2009,andsomeofourmonitorshaveworkedon

theseissuesformanyyearsbeforethat.Inthistime,wehaveconductedmorethandetailed1,000

interviewswithpeopleaffectedbythecottonharvest,visitednumerousmedicalandeducational

facilities,cottonfields,businesses,andlocalgovernmentoffices,collecteddozensofdocuments

indicatingthemassuseofforcedlaborinthecottonharvest,andmonitoredlocalmediareports

abouttheharvest.Readtogether,eachinterviewaddstoafullerandmoredetailedpictureofthesystem.Thisbodyofresearchgivesusadeepunderstandingofthelabordynamicsoftheharvest

andhowtheforcedlaborsystemaffectsindividualsandpublicservices.Italsoallowsustoidentify

trends,developments,andchangesfromyeartoyear.Thisreportdrawsonthataccumulated

knowledgeandexperienceaswellasspecificresearchfrom2015thatshowsthelaborandhuman

rightsissuesfromthisyear.


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Introduction

In2015thegovernmentofUzbekistancarriedoutjointmonitoringofforcedlaborwiththeILO.Italso

usedunprecedenteddeceptionandrepression,includingarrestsandpersecutionofindependent

monitorstocoveruptheuseofforcedlaborofmorethanamillionofitscitizenstoharvestofcotton,

thecountry’s“whitegold”,whileatthesametimeostensiblycooperatingwithILOmonitorsandattemptingtoshownominalcompliancewithWorldBankagreementsrequiringremedialmeasures

againstlaborviolations.Thegovernmentorderedpostersandbannerswarningcitizensaboutforced

laboratthesametimeasitloadedstudentsontobuses,pullingthemoutofclassesfortwomonths

topickcotton,andhungthosebanners–aftermanyofthebuseshaddeparted–farfromthefields

whereteachers,doctors,nurses,studentsandothers,laboredtofulfilldailypickingquotas.

Thegovernmentwarnedpeopletolietointernationalmonitors,totellthemtheywerepickingcotton

voluntarily,eventhoughtheyriskedlosingtheirjobsandotherpenaltiesiftheyrefused.Atthesame

timeitmade“policycommitments”laudedbytheILOnottorecruitmedicalworkersandteachersto

pickcotton,itforcedmanyofthoseworkerstosignstatementsthattheypickedcottonoftheirown

will,althoughtheywereforcedtoagreetobefiredorfaceotherpunishmentiftheyrefused.While

theILOassertedthatmanyworkersviewtheharvestasaneconomic“opportunity,”teachers,nurses,

andotherpublicsectoremployeeswerepulledfromtheirjobs,workedgruelinghoursintheheat,

sufferedabysmallivingconditions,includingovercrowding,lackofaccesstosafewaterandhygiene

facilities,oftenfarfromtheirfamilies,tofulfilldailypickingquotasunderthreats,harassment,

andhumiliation,allforwagesthatamountedtotheequivalentof$1.50perday.Infact,theharvest

imposedaneconomicburdenonmany,includingthosewhohireddaylaborerstopickcottonfor

them,andthosewhohadtopayexpenses,includingforfoodandtransportation,thatexceededwhat

theyearned.Whilethegovernmentranahotlineforpeopletoregistercomplaintsaboutforced

labor,itarrested,threatened,intimidated,andill-treatedindependentmonitorsseekingtodocument

laborrightsconditions.

Thisstakesofthiscynicalenterprise

arehigh:cotton,astrategicresource

inUzbekistan,netsthegovernment

some$1billionperyearinrevenuefrom

sales.7Whileproclaimed“thepeople’s

riches,”thecottonindustryisacorrupt

enterprisedirectlysubsidizedbythe

peopleofUzbekistanthroughtheir

laborandforcedpaymentsextortedby

governmentofficials.Theforcedlabor

system,whichexploitsthevulnerability

ofmorethanamillionpeople,

contributingtotheirimpoverishment,

generatesrevenuesforatinyelite.

Giventhesestakes,cottonproductionis

highlycentralizedandtightlycontrolled

bytop-levelgovernmentofficials

7 Fordetailedinformationonthecottonproductionsystemanditsfinancialsystem,see:“Uzbekistan’sCottonSector:FinancialFlowsandDistributionofResources,”AlisherIlkhamovandBakhodyrMuradov,OpenSocietyInstitute,

October2014,availableat:http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/uzbekistan-s-cotton-sector-financial-

flows-and-distribution-resources.Forinformationonrevenue,seep.18.

http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/uzbekistan-s-cotton-sector-financial-flows-and-distribution-resourceshttp://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/uzbekistan-s-cotton-sector-financial-flows-and-distribution-resourceshttp://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/uzbekistan-s-cotton-sector-financial-flows-and-distribution-resourceshttp://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/uzbekistan-s-cotton-sector-financial-flows-and-distribution-resources


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startingwiththepresident.Thegovernmentcommands

everyaspectoftheproduction,processing,sale,and

exportofrawcottonandcottonfiber.Thepresident

andCabinetofMinisterssetnationalpolicyforcotton

production,includingthevarietiesgrownandproduction

quotasforfarmers,andoverseeitsimplementation.The

primeministerdirectstheregionalandlocalhokims(headsofregionalanddistrictadministrations),whobear

personalresponsibilityforfulfillingcottonproduction

quotasintheirareas.8Theprimeministerconducts

regularmeetingsandconferencecallswithlocal

authoritiesandfarmersacrossthecountrytoensure

implementationofthecottonplanduringallphasesof

production,includingcompliancewithdailyharvesting

quotas.9Cottonprofitsareshieldedfrompublic

accountabilityintheSelkhozfond,anextra-budgetary

accountoftheMinistryofFinance,accessibleonlytotop

officials.10

Althoughtheharvestexactsaneconomictollonmany

workers,aportionofpeoplewhopickcottondowork

willinglyfortheeconomicopportunityitprovides.

However,theworkerswillingtopickcottongenerally

appeartobereplacementworkersorotherlaborerswho

wereabletocommandawagepaidbyindividualsor

institutionsorderedtodeliveraharvestquota.Theses

workersparticipatedprimarilyinthe“firstharvest”in

earlySeptember,whencottonwasabundantandeasytopick.Thus,itiscrucialtoassess“willingness”atall

stagesoftheseasonandtoexaminemorecloselythe

circumstancesofthoseworkers,whowantedtobefreeto

workforthehighestpayavailable.

Farmersareforcedtoplantstate-orderedacreageofcottonandwheatorfacethelossoftheirland.

Thefactthattheysignleasesstipulatingtheserequirementsdoesnotmakethemvoluntary.11The

Uzbekgovernmentregularlycoercivelymobilizescitizenstoperformunpaidlabororlow-paying

agriculturalworkthatisinadditiontotheirregularemployment.Intheagriculturalsector,this

includespreparingfieldsforplanting,plantingcotton,weeding,andharvesting.Officialsimpose

8 Despitethegovernment’stightorchestrationofthecottonproductionsystem,oneanalysisconcludes,“These

draconianmethodsdonotresultinincreasedefficiencyofcottonproduction…”Ibid,ExecutiveSummary.SeeThe

UzbekGovernment’sForcedLaborSystemChainofCommandintheAppendix.PresidentialResolutionNo.PP2830,

“OnOrganizationalMeasurestoEnsuretheTimelyandQualityHarvestofthe2014CottonCrop,”September4,

2014.Theresolutionordersregionalanddistricthokims,amongotherofficials,tobear“personalresponsibility”for

thecottonharvest.Thisresolutionisfrom2014,butthisaspectofthesystemremainedunchangedin2015.

9 IbidandHornidge,Anna-KatharinaandShtaltovna,Anastasiya,“AComparativeStudyonCottonProductionin

KazakhstanandUzbekistan,”CenterforDevelopmentResearch(ZEF),UniversityofBonn,2014,http://www.zef.de/

uploads/tx_zefportal/Publications/ZEF-Cotton_Kasachstan-web.pdf ,page13-14.

10 IlhamovandMurodov,p.18.

11 TheILOobservedtheexistenceofacontractdoesnotnegatethepossibilityofforcedlabor,andthattransfersofworkerstotasksunrelatedtotheirordinaryoccupationsraiseaconcernofcontractsbeingusedasatoolfor

compulsorylabor.SeeILOCommitteeofExpertsontheApplicationofConventionsandRecommendations,

IndividualobservationconcerningtheAbolitionofForcedLabourConvention,1957(No.105),Uzbekistan,2015.

http://www.zef.de/uploads/tx_zefportal/Publications/ZEF-Cotton_Kasachstan-web.pdfhttp://www.zef.de/uploads/tx_zefportal/Publications/ZEF-Cotton_Kasachstan-web.pdfhttp://www.zef.de/uploads/tx_zefportal/Publications/ZEF-Cotton_Kasachstan-web.pdfhttp://www.zef.de/uploads/tx_zefportal/Publications/ZEF-Cotton_Kasachstan-web.pdf


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productionquotasonfarmersforbothwheatandsilkcocoons,andenforcethequotaswiththreats

ofpenalties.Citizens,particularlypublicsectoremployees,areregularlyrequiredtocleanstreets,

paintfences,andplantflowers,especiallyalongmajorroadwaysusedbyhigh-levelofficials.The

governmentrequirespeopletomakeotherforcedcontributionsforpublicorquasi-publicpurposes,

suchascollectingscrappaperandmetal,forroadrepairs,andcity“beautification.”Ininterviews

withus,numerousteachersandstudentsdescribedmakingforcedcontributionstosubscribeto

newspapersandmagazinesandtobringinscrapmetalormakepaymentstohelpschoolsmeetquotasfortheseitems.12

Whilemanypeoplemayaccepttheseintrusionsasafactoflifeorthe“cost”ofemploymentin

Uzbekistan,resignationshouldnotbemistakenforvoluntariness.Inthevastmajorityofcaseswe

documentedin2015andoverthelastsevenyears,state-ledcoercion,notpatriotismordesiretoearn

supplementalincome,ledpeopletoworkinthecottonsector.Thisfeatureoftheforcedlaborsystem

hasremainedunchanged.

DespitetheUzbekgovernment’sattemptedcoverup,theILO’smonitoringreportreaffirmedthe

existenceofforcedlaborinUzbekistan’scottonsector,concluding“theriskofforcedlaborunder

conditionsoforganizedrecruitmentisreal,andnotmerelytheoretical.”13Thereportfindings

include:(1)thepracticesofofficialsresponsibleformeetingcottonquotasdidnotchange;(2)

therewereindicatorsofforcedlaborrelatedtowidespreadorganizedrecruitmentofadultstopick

cotton;and(3)public-sectorworkersintheeducationandhealth-caresectorswerecompelledto

contributelabororpayments.Initsreview,theILOCommitteeofExperts14stronglyurgedtheUzbek

governmenttocontinueworkwiththeILOtoensurecompliancewiththeILOconventionsagainst

forcedlabor.15

12 Regionalandlocalofficialstaskedwithcollectingscrapmetalandpaperimposecollectionquotasonschools.

Childrenarerequiredtobringinacertainamountofscrapmetalorpayafeeforeverykilonotcollected.See

forexample,“Школьников в Узбекистанце продержали взаперти из-за несдачи металлолома[Schoolchildrenin

UzbekistanKeptLockedUpforNotBringingInScrapMetal],”RadioOzodlik,February25,2015,availableat:

http://www.ozodlik.org/content/article/26867626.html .Studentsandteachersalsomentionedtheseforced

contributionsintheirinterviews,forexample,Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithstudentinKashkadarya

region,November5,2015,inwhichthestudentnotesthatthe20,000soum(approximately$3.33USD)he

earnedfrompickingcottonfor40dayswasconfiscatedformandatorysubscriptions.Acollegeinstructortold

us,“Oneproblemwehaveissubscriptionstomagazinesandnewspapers.Everyyearthecollegeissentalist

ofnewspapersandmagazines.Thelistisdividedamongthegroups.Thepricesarenotcheap.Westruggleto

collecttherequiredamountfromthestudentsbecausemanyhaveparentswithoutastableincome…Andthe

newspapersandmagazinesdon’tcomeregularly.Everyteacherisforcedtosubscribebutthenewspapersdon’t

reachus.”Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithacollegeinstructor,Syrdaryaregion,November3,2015.See

also,“Первоклашек в Узбекистане заставляют подписываться на общественно-политический журнал и покупать

камеры видеонаблюдения,[FirstGradersinUzbekistanForcedtoSubscribetoSocial-PoliticalMagazineandBuy

CamerasforVideoSurveillance],RadioOzodlik,December21,2015,availableat:http://www.ozodlik.org/content/

article/27439604.html.

13 InternationalLabourOrganization,“ThirdPartyMonitoringoftheuseofchildandforcedlaborduringthe

Uzbekistan2015CottonHarvest–AnassessmentsubmittedtotheWorldBankbytheInternationalLaborOffice,”

November20,2015.

14 TheCommitteeofExpertsontheApplicationofConventionsandRecommendations(CEACR)isanindependent

bodycomposedoflegalexpertschargedwithexaminingtheapplicationofILOConventionsandRecommendations

byILOmemberStates.TheannualreportoftheCommitteeofExpertscoversnumerousmattersrelatedtotheapplicationofILOstandards.

15 ILOCommitteeofExpertsontheApplicationofConventionsandRecommendations,Individualobservation

concerningtheAbolitionofForcedLabourConvention,1957(No.105),Uzbekistan,2016.

http://www.ozodlik.org/content/article/26867626.htmlhttp://www.ozodlik.org/content/article/27439604.htmlhttp://www.ozodlik.org/content/article/27439604.htmlhttp://www.ozodlik.org/content/article/27439604.htmlhttp://www.ozodlik.org/content/article/27439604.htmlhttp://www.ozodlik.org/content/article/26867626.html


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Forced Labor System of Cotton

Production in 2015

National Plan and Coercion of Farmers

Thegovernment’sdirectandtotalcontrolofthecotton

sectorsustainsasystemofpatronage,istherootcauseof

forcedlabor,andremainedunalteredin2015.Thesystem

isorganizedfromthetopdownanditsimplementation

involvesofficialsateverylevel. 16Inthefirstquarterof

theyear,thepresident,primeminister,ministersofthe

AgricultureandWaterResources,theEconomy,Finance,

ForeignEconomicRelations,andInvestmentsandTrade

ministries,andrepresentativesfromthestate-controlled

cottonassociationsetthenationalproductiontarget. 17

Theprimeministerissuedquotastotheregionalhokims,

who,withthecottonassociation,imposedproduction

quotasonfarmersthroughtheirlandleaseagreements

andprocurementcontracts.Farmers,whodonotown

theirlandbutleaseitfromthegovernment,were,asin

previousyears,obligatedtoselltheircottontooneof

thestate-controlledginsatthestateprice.TheFinance

Ministrysettheprocurementpriceforcotton–theprice

paidtofarmers–belowthegovernment’sownestimate

ofproductioncosts.18Thegovernmentalsoestablishes

theratespaidtoworkersforharvesting,whicharesubstantiallylowerthanmarketwages,perpetuatingthe

needforforcedlabor.

TheforcedlaborsystemofcottonproductioninUzbekistanbeginswithfarmers,affectingmillions. 19

Manyfarmers,whomustuseinputsandagriculturalservicessoldbygovernment-controlled

monopolies,believethatproductionplansarepunitiveandarbitrary.Theplansandconsequences

forfailuretofulfillthemcontributetofarmers’vulnerabilityandleavemanyfarmersateconomic

disadvantage.Themostprofitablecropsforfarmersarehorticulturalproducts,suchasfruitsand

vegetables.20Yetthegovernmentrequiresmanyfarmerstodedicatesignificantlandtocottonand

16 See:TheUzbekGovernment’sForcedLabourSystemChainofCommand,availableat:

http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/.

17 Thisassociation,knownasKhlopkoprominRussianandUzpakhtasanoatinUzbek,isthestate-controlled

associationresponsibleforprocurementandsalesofrawcottonandginning.

18 IlkhamovandMuradov,pp.20–23.

19 AccordingtoaWorldBankestimate,therearesome4.7millionsmallfarmsinUzbekistanmostofwhichare

operatedbypoorhouseholds,and21,000largerfarms.Uzbekistan:StrengtheningtheHorticultureValueChain,

WorldBankPolicyNote,Khidirov,Dilshod;Larson,DonaldF.;Schuman,Irina;Abstract,January1,2015,available

at:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/01/24003407/uzbekistan-strengthening-horticulture-value-

chain.

20 AWorldBankanalysisconcludes:“Evidenceinthisnotesuggeststhatgrowingfruitandvegetablesisamongthe

mostprofitableactivitiesonbothdehkan[smallpeasantfarms]andprivatefarmsand,overthelasttenyears,

theincomesthoseactivitiesgeneratecomprisedagrowingshareofnationalGDP.Horticulturalexportearningshavealsosurgedinrecentyears,growingfromUSD373millionin2006toUSD1.16billionin2010.Uzbekistan

hasspecialagro-ecologicalconditionsthatsetitapartfrommostcountriesandprovidesthebasisforits

horticulturesubsector.Likeagricultureasawhole,thesubsectorbenefitsgreatlyfrompoliciesthatsupportbasic

http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/01/24003407/uzbekistan-strengthening-horticulture-value-chainhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/01/24003407/uzbekistan-strengthening-horticulture-value-chainhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/01/24003407/uzbekistan-strengthening-horticulture-value-chainhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/01/24003407/uzbekistan-strengthening-horticulture-value-chainhttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/


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wheatproductionandtofulfillannualproductionquotasofbothcrops,limitingtheirabilitytomake

aprofit.Farmersoftenenterintoinformalagreementswiththelocalhokiminordertogrowmore

profitablecropsandcompensateforthedebtstheyoftenincurtofulfilltheircottonquotas.Afarmer

fromSyrdaryatoldus

The district hokim sets the [cotton] plan. The hokim meets with all the foremen of the

territory to determine the fertility of the land. After he gathers all the information, heimposes the state production plan on the farmers. Although he knows how much the

harvest depends on the strength of the land, he always makes the quota higher. And so

some farmers can’t even meet half of the production targets. Farmers that have a good

relationship with the hokim and his team of advisors use any means to try to get lower

quotas. They will even pay bribes to lower their production quotas and then secretly plant

different crops. 21

Punitive Measures Against Farmers

In2015thegovernmentreliedonlawenforcement

structurestomonitorandcontrolvariousaspectsof

agricultureandinstillfearinfarmers.Policeregularly

patrolledcottonfields,inspectedfarms,andmonitored

bothworkersandtheprogressoftheharvest.The

legalbasisforthispresenceisunclear,althoughthe

messagetofarmerswasunmistakable:theyfaceserious

consequencesforfailureorerror.22Thefarmerfrom

Syrdaryasaid,“Whenworkersarriveatyourfields,you

becomethecenterofattentiontothedistrictofficials.

Theycometoinspect–theforeman,prosecutors,police.

Youneedtoprovideinformationabouthowtheharvestisgoingtoday,whoispicking,howmanypickers,andtell

thecottoncollectionheadquartershowmuchcottonI

willdelivertoday…”23

In2015thegovernmentlaunchedanagricultural“re-

optimization”plantoreducethesizeofmostagricultural

landallotments.24Italsoimplementedaplanknownas

“Cleaver”(OiboltainUzbek),underwhichfarmersin

debtwererequiredtogiveuptheirlandlocalofficials

repossessedthelandandpossessionsoffarmerswhohad

researchinagronomyandpost-harvesttechnologies,frompoliciesthatsupportprivateinvestmentandefficient

markets,andfrompoliciesthatpromotethegoodstewardshipofnaturalresources.”WorldBankPolicyNote,

“Uzbekistan:StrengtheningtheHorticultureValueChain,”Khidirov,Dilshod;Larson,DonaldF.;Schuman,Irina;

abstract,January1,2015,availableat:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/01/24003407/uzbekistan-

strengthening-horticulture-value-chain.

21 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithafarmer,Syrdaryaregion,November10,2015.

22 RadioOzodlikreportedonthesuicidesoftwofarmers,oneinJuneandoneinJuly,whofailedtomeetthewheat

productionquotaandfacedotherproblemswiththeirfarmsandweresubjectedtoseverehumiliation,and

threateninganddegradingtreatmentbythehokimandlocalofficials.See“В Узбекистане оскорбления властей

вынудили фермера покончить с собой[InUzbekistaninsultsbyofficialsforcedfarmertokillhimself],”Radio

Ozodlik,July4,2015,availableat:http://www.ozodlik.org/content/article/27109836.html.

23 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithafarmer,Syrdaryaregion,November10,2015.24 Overthelast13years,Uzbekistanhasundertakenaseriesofagriculturalreformsdesignedto“optimize”production

byincreasingordecreasingtheamountoflandallocatedtofarmersandredistributinglandassignments.Uzbek-

GermanForuminterviewwithafarmer,Jizzakhregion,October2015.

Farmerswhodonotowntheirlandbut

leaseitfromthegovernment,were,asin

previousyears,obligatedtogrowcottonand

sellittooneofthestate-controlledginsat

thestateprice.

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/01/24003407/uzbekistan-strengthening-horticulture-value-chainhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/01/24003407/uzbekistan-strengthening-horticulture-value-chainhttp://www.ozodlik.org/content/article/27109836.htmlhttp://www.ozodlik.org/content/article/27109836.htmlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/01/24003407/uzbekistan-strengthening-horticulture-value-chainhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/01/24003407/uzbekistan-strengthening-horticulture-value-chain


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failedtomeetproductionquotasforcottonorwheatorincurreddebts.25Inaconferencecallwith

localauthoritiesandfarmersonOctober12,2015,ShavkatMirziyaev,Uzbekistan’sprimeminister,

orderedlocalofficialstousecourtbailiffsandpolicetotakepropertyfromindebtedfarmers.A

farmerfromNamanganwhowasonthecalltoldRadioOzodlikthattheprimeministersaid,“Goto

farmers’fieldsandtellthemtofulfillthe[production]plan.Gotothehomesoffarmersindebt,who

can’trepaytheircredit,taketheircars,livestock,andiftherearenone,taketheslatefromtheir

roofs!”26AfarmerfromSyrdaryadescribedtheCleaverplan:

They have found a good way to deal [with people who fail to produce the quota]. The police

and prosecutors come and seize your other crops. The farmer can never make a profit

then. It’s a big deal if he can even cover his expenses for cotton. As far as I know, there are

no farmers who are not in debt to the banks. Everyone is in debt millions [of soum]. To cover

them, they seize our vegetable crops, wheat, rice, and confiscate our belongings to pay the

state banks. 27

AfarmerfromKashkadaryasaid:

I didn’t fulfill the cotton production plan this year, but I don’t have any debt. But because

I didn’t meet the quota the police came and took my brother’s car. We have a family farm.

They haven’t given it back. The [police] go to the houses of people with a lot of debt and take

everything, anything they can find, without any documents. If [the farmer] has cattle, they

sell the cattle… 28

AfarmerfromJizzakhwhodidnotmeethiscottonproductionquotadescribedindetailhisdebts

tovariousgovernment-controlledsuppliers,includingfordieselfuel,fertilizer,andtheuseofa

combineforharvestinghiswheatcrop.Hesaid:

I finished the year in debt 60 million soum (approximately $10,000 USD) from my bankcredit. [Prime Minister] Mirziyaev’s Cleaver group took 10 sheep, three cows, as well as

my tractor and cultivator from my home. They closed my farm. Now I don’t know what will

happen… 29

Fear and Control through Cotton Meetings

Throughout2015,regionalhokimswereagainheldresponsibleforensuringfarmersgrewenough

andotherspickedenoughcottontocompletetheirportionofthenationalcottonproductionplan.

Hokimsdirecteddistrictandlocalofficialsintheirregionstoimplementlaborrecruitmentplans.

Daily“cottonmeetings”playedakeyroleinoverseeingandenforcingcottonharvestpolicy.The

primeministerorganizedregularmeetingsbyconferencecallwithlocalofficialsandfarmers

acrossthecountrybeforeandthroughoutthecottonseason.Regionalanddistricthokimsalso

convenedcottonmeetingsthroughouttheharvestseason,andpresidedoverthemaccompaniedby

localpolice,prosecutors,taxinspectors,andotherofficials.Farmers,administratorsofeducation,

25 «Убийственная кампания»Мирзияева заработала полным ходом – десятки фермеров лишились имущества

[Mirziyaev’s‘MurderousCampaign’HasHadCompleteSuccess–TensofFarmershaveLostTheirProperty”],Radio

Liberty,October23,2015,availableat:http://rus.ozodlik.org/content/article/27321803.html.Uzbek-GermanForum

interviewwithfarmer,Kashkadaryaregion,December11,2015.

26 “Премьер-министр Узбекистана начал «убийственную» кампанию против фермеров[ThePrimeMinisterof

UzbekistanhasBeguna‘Murderous’CampaignAgainstFarmers,”],RadioOzodlik,October14,2015,availableat:

http://rus.ozodlik.org/content/article/27305585.html.27 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithafarmer,Syrdaryaregion,November10,2015.

28 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithfarmer,Kashkadaryaregion,December11,2015.

29 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithfarmer,Jizzakhregion,December10,2014.

http://rus.ozodlik.org/content/article/27321803.htmlhttp://rus.ozodlik.org/content/article/27321803.htmlhttp://rus.ozodlik.org/content/article/27305585.htmlhttp://rus.ozodlik.org/content/article/27305585.htmlhttp://rus.ozodlik.org/content/article/27321803.html


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healthcareandotherpublicinstitutions,mahallacommitteemembers,andotherswererequired

toattend.Themeetingsoftenoccurredlateintheeveningandlastedforhours.Afarmerfrom

Kashkadaryasaid,“DuringtheharvestIspenteverynightatthecottonheadquarters.Thehokim

convenesmeetingsuntilmidnight.Hetellsus‘you’dbetterfindcottonfromsomewhere,evenfrom

underthedirt,andfulfillthequota.’Nexttohimsittheprosecutorandpoliceofficers.” 30

Althoughtheostensiblepurposeofthemeetingsistomonitorprogressondailyharvesting,theirmainobjectiveappearedtobetoinstillfearintothoseresponsibleforcarryingoutcottonpolicyand

humiliatethosewhodonotmeettheplan.Theofficialscalledonfarmers,directorsofinstitutions

andenterprisestoreporthowmanypeopletheysenttothefieldsandtheirprogressinmeeting

harvestingquotas.Thosewhodidnotmeettargetswereexcoriated,threatened,andsometimes

beaten.ThehokimoftheNizhnechirchikdistrictoftheTashkentregionbeatafarmeratacotton

meetingonSeptember9,causingthefarmertobehospitalizedfortwodaysforhisinjuries.31

AtacottonmeetingintheKhazaraspdistrictofKhorezm,thehokimorderedfullparticipationinthe

harvest,threateningtoshutdownorganizationsthatdidnotsendtheiremployees.Thehokimsaid:

Cotton! You have to go and pick cotton and fulfill the quota. Is it clear!? …[All] must go and

pick cotton. This policy applies to everyone! If even one person does not go out, it will be

bad for you! I’ll shut down your organizations! Everyone, without exception, whether from

the hokimiyat, tax officials, the bank or other organizations, all will be shut down! 32

30 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithfarmer,Kashkadaryaregion,November9,2014.

31 “Хоким Джахонгир Абдуразаков Нижнечирчикского района принуждает медиков и учителей собирать хлопок, а

также является взяточником и хулиганом. Узбекистан.[HokimJahongirAbdurazakovoftheNizhnechirchikdistrict

isforcingmedicalworkersandteacherstopickcotton,istakingbribes,andascoundrel.Uzbekistan.],HumanRightsAllianceofUzbekistanpressrelease,September12,2015.

32 TranscriptofaudiorecordingofUktamKurbanov,hokimoftheKhazaraspdistrictofKhorezmregion,cotton

meeting,September29,2015.


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Forced Mobilization of Labor

in 2015

In2015thegovernmentforciblymobilizedmorethanamillionpeopleincludingstudents,public

sectoremployees,andemployeesofprivatebusinesstoharvestcotton.33Itsentteachersandmedicalworkerstothefieldsindroves,despitestatedpolicycommitmentsnottorecruitfromthehealthand

educationsectors.34

EstimatingthenumberofUzbekcitizensforcedtoworkinthecottonsectorishamperedbythelack

ofreliableeconomicdatafromUzbekistanandtheUzbekgovernment’sactiveinterferencewith

attemptstogatherdataonpracticesinthecottonsector.Yetselectfiguresareavailableandenable

theapproximationofthelabordemandforthecottonharvest.

Officialnewssourcescitedthecropyieldasover3.35milliontonsandtheharvestlastedfortwo

months.35Whilequotasvariedbyregionandtimingduringtheharvest,averagedailynormsacross

33 InternationaltreatiestowhichUzbekistanisaparty,absolutelyprohibitsforcedlabor,definedbyILOconvention

No.29as“allworkorservicewhichisexactedfromanypersonunderthemenaceofanypenaltyandforwhich

thesaidpersonhasnotofferedhimself[orherself]voluntarily.”ILOConventionNo.29concerningForcedor

CompulsoryLabor(ForcedLaborConvention),adoptedJune28,1930,39U.N.T.S.55,enteredintoforceMay1,1932.

Fora,overviewofUzbekandinternationalstandardsregulatingforcedchildlaborandforcedlabor,seeLegal

Standards,Appendix.

34 ILOThirdPartyMonitoringreport,PolicyCommitments,p.84.ForpastresearchonforcedlaborinUzbekistan,

seetheUzbek-GermanForumreportsonforcedlaborinplantingandweedingcotton,andontheannualcotton

harvests,availableat:http://uzbekgermanforum.org/category/ugf-reports/ .Thegovernmentusesforcedlabor

inothersectorsoftheeconomyinUzbekistanaswell.ManyrespondentstoldtheUzbek-GermanForumthat

theyareregularlyrequiredtodoforced,unpaidlaborsuchascleaningthestreets,plantingflowers,orguardingconstructionsites.TheUzbek-GermanForumhasalsofoundsystematicforcedlaborinsilkproductionin

Uzbekistansee:“SilkLoopforUzbekFarmers,”Uzbek-GermanForumforHumanRights,September12,2015,

availableat:http://uzbekgermanforum.org/report-silk-loop-for-uzbek-farmers/ .

35 “Хлопкоробы Узбекистана собрали в 2015 году более 3 миллионов 350 тысяч тонн хлопка[Cottonpickersin

Uzbekistanharvestedmorethan3.35milliontonsofcottonin2015],STV,October10,2015,availableat:

http://stv.uz/news/economic/3147-hlopkoroby-uzbekistana-sobrali-v-2015-godu-bolee-3-millionov-350-tysyach-

tonn-hlopka.html.

http://uzbekgermanforum.org/category/ugf-reports/http://uzbekgermanforum.org/report-silk-loop-for-uzbek-farmers/http://stv.uz/news/economic/3147-hlopkoroby-uzbekistana-sobrali-v-2015-godu-bolee-3-millionov-350-tysyach-tonn-hlopka.htmlhttp://stv.uz/news/economic/3147-hlopkoroby-uzbekistana-sobrali-v-2015-godu-bolee-3-millionov-350-tysyach-tonn-hlopka.htmlhttp://stv.uz/news/economic/3147-hlopkoroby-uzbekistana-sobrali-v-2015-godu-bolee-3-millionov-350-tysyach-tonn-hlopka.htmlhttp://stv.uz/news/economic/3147-hlopkoroby-uzbekistana-sobrali-v-2015-godu-bolee-3-millionov-350-tysyach-tonn-hlopka.htmlhttp://stv.uz/news/economic/3147-hlopkoroby-uzbekistana-sobrali-v-2015-godu-bolee-3-millionov-350-tysyach-tonn-hlopka.htmlhttp://uzbekgermanforum.org/report-silk-loop-for-uzbek-farmers/http://uzbekgermanforum.org/category/ugf-reports/


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theharvestwereintherangeof25–

50kilogramsperperson.Thismeans

that67–134millionpersondayswere

requiredtoharvestthecrop.While

asmallamountwasmechanically

harvested,andsomewaspickedby

trulyvoluntarylabor,thevastmajorityofthedaysinthecottonfieldswereput

inbyforcedlaborersordaylaborers

peoplepaidoutoftheirownpockets

toavoiddoingtheworkthemselves.

Conservativelyestimatingtoaccount

fortheunknowns,thegovernment

forcedmorethanamillionpeopleto

pickcottonin2015.

Mandatory Participation in the Harvest

Akeyindicatorthatparticipationinthecottonharvestwasmandatoryandnotvoluntarywasthefact

thatpeoplehadtoensurethattheyorsomeoneelsepickedcottonintheirnames.Theywereforced

togotothefieldsbytheirinstitutions–schools,universities,hospitals,ormahallas–sothatthe

institutionscouldreporttohigherauthoritiesthattheyhadfulfilledtheirmobilizationrequirements.

School,college,anduniversityadministrations,publichealthofficials,mahallacommittee

chairpersons,andotherheadsofpublicsectorinstitutionswereresponsiblenotforrecruitment

ofanyworkersorevenprovidingacertainnumberofworkers,butforensuringthemandatory

participationoftheirstudents,employees,orresidents.Evenwheresomeonehiredareplacement

workertopick,thereplacementworkerpicked–andreceivedanypayment–inthenameofthe

individualwhohiredhimorher.Intheexperienceofsome,administrators’mobilizationordersweredisconnectedfromtheproductiontarget.AteacherfromJizzakhsaid,“themostimportantthingwas

thatwesent15peopleeveryday.Themostimportantthingwashowmanyteacherswesent,nothow

muchwepicked.36

Numerousintervieweestoldusthatthekeywastoensurethatsomeonereporttothefieldsintheir

name.Itdidnotmatteriftheywentthemselvesorsentarelativeintheirplaceorhiredareplacement

worker,aslongasthecottonwaspickedintheirname.ForexampleateacherfromtheAndijan

regiontoldus:

For the school administration, it’s enough that you went to the fields. There the farmer

or his deputy responsible for organization watches what you do. If you don’t pick much

you won’t get paid for the work. For the school it’s enough that you go to the fields, it isn’t

important that someone goes in your place as long as your name is in the list of those who

have gone to the harvest. 37

Itisunclearwhyitwouldbenecessaryforthesepublicofficialstoshowparticipationofparticular

individualsforatrulyvoluntaryactivity,underscoringthemandatorynatureofmobilization.Indeed,

theILOobservedthatastudenthadaletterfromhisuniversityofficialsreleasinghimfromcotton

workandnotedthatsuchareleasewouldnotbenecessaryforavoluntaryactivity.38

36 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithaschoolteacher,Jizzakhregion,November8,2015.37 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithasecondaryschoolteacher,Andijanregion,November8,2015.Uzbek-German

Foruminterviewwithasecondaryschoolteacher,Andijanregion,November8,2015.

38 ILOThirdPartyMonitoringReport,7(45),p.14.


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Eveninsomecasesofworkerswillingtoworkbutwho

wantedtoseekthehighestpayavailable,theywerestill

forciblyrecruitedtoworkfortheirmahallas,colleges,

orotherinstitutionswhowerecommandedtoprovide

acertainnumberofworkers.Thiscoercioneveninthe

faceofthewillingnessofsomeworkersunderscores

thefactthatthecottonsystemisbuiltaroundforcedlaborandlocalofficialsexperienceintensepressureto

delivertargetnumbersofworkers.Onewomendescribed

attemptingtoevadeforcedmobilizationbyhermahalla,

whichwasobligatedtomobilizealaborquotafora

particularfarmwhereshewouldhaveonlyreceivedthe

government-setprice,soshecouldinsteadseekworkasa

replacementworkerforhirewages.

We were prepared to pick cotton, but it is not

desirable to pick for the mahalla. We like [being

hired as replacement workers for people from

Tashkent]. If you work for them you’ll get 400

– 500 soum [approximately $.07 – .08 USD) for

every kilo. We wanted to pick for them [but] the

mahalla chairman came and told us to work for

the mahalla. Then a whole group of agitators

came to get us to pick…They propagandized to

us that cotton is our nation’s wealth. I almost

told them to their faces, ‘fine, then you should

pay better for it.’ We would pick cotton but only

for those who pay well. 39

Mobilization Orders

Ourmonitorscollectedavarietyofofficialdocumentsorderingtherecruitmentofworkersthat

shedlightontheforcedrecruitmentsystem,presentedinaninfographic“TheUzbekGovernment’s

ForcedLaborSystemChainofCommand”40.Thesedocumentscorroboratetestimonyfromour

intervieweesthattheywereorderedtoworkunderthreatofpenalty.Theseorderscannotbe

understoodasoptionalor,astheILOreported,astheauthorities“askingforvolunteers.”41Onecity

officialsaidthatthecottonharvestiskhashar[communalwork]thatis“voluntary-compulsory,”

underscoringthatwhilecottonpickingisvauntedascivicwork,itisactuallymandatory,saying:

“Only college students under age 18 stayed at college. The rest of them went to the fields.

It was on the order of the regional governor. Everybody knows it. This happens to us

compulsory-voluntarily. We call it ‘khashar.’ 40% of all employees went to the fields by the

order of the hokim. 42

39 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewmahallaresident,Jizzakhregion,November12,2015.

40 Infographic:TheUzbekGovernment’sForcedLaborSystemChainofCommand,availableat:

http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/.Allthedocumentscanbedownloadedat:http://

harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence.

41 Initssectiononhealthcare,theILOreportstates,“Monitorsweretoldby2[hospitalorclinic]Directorsthattheyhadbeenaskedtoprovidestaff(bythemahallaandtheFarmers’Council/farmer)sotheyhadaskedstaffto

volunteerfortheharvest,”ILOTPMreport,7(51),p.14.

42 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithcityofficial,Tashkentregion,September2015.

InscriptiononthePoster:“Onthe29thof

October,thestudentsofforeignlanguage

facultyareatthecottonharvest.”

http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/


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Localofficialsresponsibleforrecruitmentoflaborissued

laborquotastobusinessesandpublicsectorinstitutions

suchasschools,medicalfacilities,andgovernment

offices.Inallregionswemonitoredin2015,peoplefrom

differentsectorsconsistentlyreportedthatupto40%

employees,andinafewcasesmore,weresenttothe

fieldsforshiftsof15–40days.Theremainingemployeesworkedovertimeorassumedadditionalresponsibilities

tocoverfortheircolleaguesinthefieldsfornoadditional

compensationandoftenperformeddailycottonwork

afternormalworkinghoursoronweekends.Amahalla

committeechairpersonintheJizzakhregionexplained

We [the mahalla committee] were supposed

to organize the entire mahalla and mobilize a

minimum of 100 people to pick cotton in the

name of the mahalla. Forced or mandatory,

no matter how you formulate this word, the

meaning is the same: to get people to go to the

fields and harvest cotton. No one wants to go

of their own will to harvest cotton for miserly

wages. 43

ThehokimofAngren,acityintheTashkentregionorderedeveryenterpriseandinstitutionin

Angrentoprovideatleast40%ofitsworkforcetothecottonharvest.44AtanOctober5cotton

meeting,thehokimoftheJizzakhregionannouncedageneralkhasharinresponsetoworsening

weather.Heorderedeveryorganizationintheregiontocloseandmobilizepeopletothefields.A

localfarmerreportedthatallcollegesfromcottonproducingregionsclosed,andallsecond-yearstudentsandsomefirst-yearstudentsweresenttothefields.45

Acottonheadquartersmonitoringdocumentweobtaineddetailstheassignmentoflaborquotas

tovariousinstitutionsinthedistrictandtracksdailytalliesofworkersandcottonpicked. 46

Thedocumentappearstobeastandardreportingformforuseinanyregion.Itlistsallfarms

inthedistrictand,undereach,theorganizationsrequiredtoprovidelabortothefarms.These

organizationsincludeschools,clinics,colleges,privatebusinesses,thepostoffice,andlocalbazaar.

Thedocumentspecifiesthenumberofworkerseachorganizationmustprovide.Italsocontains

twocolumnsforeachdayofthecottonharvest,thefirstnotinghowmanyworkerseachinstitution

provided,andthesecondhowmuchcottontheypicked.

Teachersconfirmedthattheschoolsreceivedgovernmentordersforthemandtheirstudentsto

participateintheharvest.AcollegeinstructorfromSyrdaryasaid,

It’s a long chain [of command]. Many are responsible. Really, a lot of people come from

the hokimiat, prosecutor’s office, administration, to inspect the numbers of students and

43 Interviewwithmahallacommitteechairperson,Jizzakhregion,November15,2015.

44 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithdirectorofAngrenLaborExchange,agovernmententityunderthedirection

ofthehokimiyat(cityadministration)ofAngren,September2015.

45 Reportfromafarmer[namewithheld]presentatthecottonmeeting,Jizzakhregion,October5,2015.ThecottonproducingdistrictsofJizzakhare:Jizzakh,Pakhtakor,Dustlik,Mirzachul,Arnasai,Zafarabad,Zarbdar,andZaamin.

46 AcopyofthedocumentisonfilewiththeUzbek-GermanForumforHumanRights.Publishingitortheidentifying

thedistrictcouldidentifythesource,puttingthesourceatriskofretaliation.


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teachers in the fields. The director of the college is in control every day and gives us the

orders. We go the fields or don’t go according to his orders. He tells us and we do it.” 47

AteacherintheAndijanregionsaid,“Ofcourse[theorder]comesfromabove.Leadersfromthe

entirerepublicparticipateinthecottonmeetings.There,theprimeministergivestheorders.

Theregionalanddistricthokimsgiveorderstoschooldirectors.WegetlistsinAugusttomake

preparations,andthedirectorsgivetheorderstoschoolteachers[topickcotton].48

Throughan“UrgentMessage,”thehokimoftheUchtepadistrictofTashkentorderedprivate

companymanagerstosendtheiremployeestopickcotton:

White gold is a gift for the people of Uzbekistan!

On the basis of an order from a Meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dated August 28, 2015,

and to take advantage of favorable weather conditions to harvest the cotton crop without

loss, all organizations, enterprises and business entities of the Uchtepa district (Tashkent

city), regardless of the form of management, must participate in the cotton harvest.

Based on the above, please select _______ employees for the cotton harvest. Submit a

list of these employees (with copies of passports) according to the attached form to the

headquarters of the Uchtepa district hokimiyat (5th floor), by _______ hour __(date)_______

2015.

District Khokim signature A. Dosmukhamedov 49

Ourmonitorsalsoobtainedcopiesofordersfromprivatecompaniesdirectingtheiremployeesto

pickcotton.Forexample,thegeneraldirectorofUzmetkombinat,ametallurgicalfactoryinBekabad,

47 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithcollegeinstructor,Syrdaryaregion,November3,2015.

48 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithsecondaryschoolteacher,Andijanregion,November8,2015.

49 Acopyoftheorderisavailableat:http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence.

http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence


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intheTashkentregion,issuedawrittenorderfor3500employeestopickcotton,morethan30%of

itsemployees.Thedirectornamedthemanagersresponsibleforfulfillingtherecruitmentorder

andprovidedatableindicatingthenumberofworkerseachdepartmentmustprovide.50Similarly,

thedirectoroftheAngrenbranchofthejointstockcompanyO’zbekko’mir,orderedthecompany’s

workerstopickcottonintheBukaregionfromSeptember9totheendoftheseason,inadirective

signedonSeptember7.51Point3ofthedirectivethreatensworkerswithdismissalforrefusaltopick

cottonorfailuretomeetthequota.

Failure to pick cotton or to fulfill the quota, and disciplinary violations (drinking alcoholic

beverages, playing games of chance, unauthorized absences, or violations of the sanitary-

hygiene rules) by workers, failure to carry out the orders of, or insubordination to, brigade

leaders are considered grounds for cancelling the labor contract at the employer’s

initiative [dismissal], in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan.52

Students

Studentsofcollegesanduniversitiescompriseoneof

themostnumerousandvulnerablegroupssubjected

toforcedlabor.53InUzbekistan,thereareatleast1,600

colleges,universities,andeducationalinstitutionswith

1.3millionstudentsaged18andolder.Testimonyfrom

students,teachers,parents,andfarmersinallregions

wemonitoredtakentogetherwithobservationsbyour

monitors,documentaryevidence,andmediareports

indicatesthatin2015thegovernmentforciblymobilized

students18andolder–third-yearcollegestudentsand

universitystudents–tothefieldsenmasseforshiftsof

25–40daysandthatthismobilizationwasforcedunderthreatofpenalty.

Studentstoldustheyfearedproblemswiththeirstudiesif

theyrefusedtopick.Someweredirectlythreatenedwith

expulsioniftheyrefusedtopickcotton.Morecommonly,

however,studentstoldustheyfearedtheywouldreceive

poorgrades,havedisciplinarytroubles,andexperience

difficultyenteringuniversityorgettingjobs.Forexample,

acollegeteacherfromtheSyrdaryaregiondescribed

threateningstudentstoensuretheirparticipationin

theharvest,“[Wewarn]studentsthatiftheydon’tpick

cottontheywillnotreceivegoodgrades.Wesaythings

tocoercethemandensuretheygotothefields;wewarn

parentsthattheirchildrenwillgetexpelled[ifthey

don’tpickcotton.”54AstudentfromKashkadaryasaidif

studentsrefusetopickcotton“[teachers]telluswewon’t

50 Acopyoftheorderisavailableat:http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence.

51 BukaisthesiteofaWorldBank-fundedproject.

52 DirectiveNo.760“ToSendEmployeesoftheRazrezAngrenBranchtothe2015CottonHarvest,”N.S.Usmanov,

September7,2015.Acopyofthedirectiveisavailableat:http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.

org/?page=evidence.53 InUzbekistancollegeistheequivalentofhighschool;first-yearstudentsareusually16yearsold;second-yearsare

usually17;andthird-yearsareusually18.

54 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithcollegeinstructor,Syrdaryaregion,November11,2015.

http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence


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allowyoutocometoclass,we’llkickyououtofcollege…theywon’tgivegrades,saying‘youweren’tat

theharvest,andsoyouhavetopayalotofmoneyfornewspaperandmagazinesubscriptions.’They

begintopressureyoueverywhichway.Theyhumiliatesomestudentsinfrontofthewholecollege,

swearingatanddegradingthemindifferentways.”55

In2015weobservedintensificationofeffortstomakeparticipationinthecottonharvestappear

voluntary,orasapracticalcomponentofstudents’studiesortocoveruptheirparticipationintheharvestbyfalsifyingattendancerecordsandcurriculumjournals.

Wecollectedcopiesofstatementssignedbystudentsatsixeducationalinstitutions,allhandwritten

butsubstantiallysimilar,inwhichstudentswrotethattheyagreetoparticipateinthecottonharvest

“voluntarily”orbesubjectedtodisciplinaryaction,includingexpulsion.Thestatementsrefer

variouslytoaresolutionormeetingoftheCabinetofMinistersorderingmobilizationofworkersto

theharvest.Thesestatementscamefromstudentsatinstitutionsindifferentpartsofthecountry,

suggestingthattheywerenotthespontaneousinventionofindividualofficials,butpartofalarger

policytomakecottonpickingappearvoluntary.Forexample,astatementsignedbyastudentatthe

SamarkandStateInstituteforArchitectureandConstructionreads:

I, [name withheld] have familiarized myself with the disciplinary rules and internal

regulations of the Samarkand State Institute for Architecture and Construction. I have

personally received a warning from the administration of the institute that I will be

expelled if I, without a reason, cannot participate in the cotton harvest organized on the

basis of decisions of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Hokimiat of

Samarkand Region, orders of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education

of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the Rector of the Institute. 56

ASeptember9examplefromtheTashkentUniversityof

InformationTechnologyreads:

To the Rector of the Tashkent University of

Information Technologies, Ministry of Higher

and Secondary Special Education of the

Republic of Uzbekistan, Muydinov H.A.

I [name withheld], a student in the

telecommunications department of Tashkent

University of Information Technology, will be

actively involved of my own will in the harvest of

cotton, the wealth of the state, in 2015. I will take

an active part in cotton harvest on my own will.

Statement written and signed by myself.57

OneletterwrittenbyastudentattheTashkentInstituteforIrrigationandMeliorationrefersto

cottonpickingasan“internship,”andnotesthat“Ihavebeenwarnedaboutparticipationinpractical

workinthecottonharvestof2015toexecutetheprotocol‘OnAssemblyonthepreparationtocotton

harvestinSyrdaryaregionin2015,’oftheCabinetofMinistersof15,August2015.”58

55 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithcollegestudent,Kashkadaryaregion,November5,2015.56 SeeDocumentaryEvidence,availableat:http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence.

57 Acopyoftheletterisavailableat:http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence.

58 Acopyoftheletterisavailableat:http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence.

http://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidencehttp://harvestreport2015.uzbekgermanforum.org/?page=evidence


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AcollegeinstructorinKarakalpakstanconfirmed

We get statements from parents saying ‘I am not opposed to my child taking part in the

work of the college.’ We, a teacher and a mahalla committee member, visit parents whose

children refuse to go to the fields. We acquaint them with the recent orders and directives

of the government regarding students’ education and their participation in the work and

activities of the college. Parents are required to send their son or daughter to the harvest. 59

Whenaskedifacollegethatsentfirst-,second-,andthird-yearstudentstopickcottonaskedparents’

permission,ateacherresponded,

No, why would we ask such a question? Don’t you know our rules? The cotton harvest is

the obligation of every citizen. We took a statement from the parents of first- and second-

year students that from their side they will not allow their first- and second-year children

to pick cotton. If they do, they accept full responsibility and are even prepared to accept

the appropriate punishment. I even signed that kind of note for my son, who is a first-year

student.60

AfarmerinJizzakhtoldusoftheconundrumfacedbyeducationalinstitutionsorderedatonceto

sendtheirstudentstothefieldswhileatthesametimeappearingtofunctionincaseofinspection.

Today in [district withheld] the heads of the college received notification that the ILO

inspection teams are coming to inspect them. They are terrified… They said ‘if the hokim

and prosecutor allow us, we would be happy to take the first- and second-year students out

of the fields and return them to class, but they demand that we provide a certain number of

third-years. But 70% of the third-years ran away. Of 200 third-years we can only get 40. So

we send first- and second-years [to make up the difference]…if we don’t send the required

amount we’ll get in trouble with the hokim and prosecutor. But if the first- and second-yearsaren’t in class when the ILO comes, we’ll also get in trouble with the hokim and prosecutor. 61

Education and Medical Workers

Educationandhealthsectorworkerswereanothergroup

forcedenmassetoworkinthecottonfieldsin2015.

Notwithstandingthegovernment’sstatedcommitments

nottorecruitteachersandhealthcareworkers,our

researchshowsnodiscernibledifferenceintheforced

mobilizationoftheseworkersin2015fromprevious

years,whentheywerealsoforciblyrecruitedinlarge

numbers.62Officialssentteachersandmedicalworkersto

pickcottonforrotatingshiftsof15–25daysorforsingle

extendedshiftsofupto40daysduringthe2015harvest.

Thosewhohadcompletedtheirshiftsordidnotpick

cottonwereforciblymobilizedtoworkonweekendsand

59 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithcollegeinstructor,Karakalpakstan,November3,2015.

60 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithcollegeteacher,Jizzakhregion,November5,2015.

61 ReportfromafarmerintheJizzakhregiontotheUzbek-GermanForum.

62 Statisticsfrom2013indicatecloseto1millionmedicalandsocialservicesprovidersinUzbekistanandmorethan

1.6millionemployeesinthefieldsofeducation,culture,arts,andsciences.45%ofUzbekistan’spopulationofmorethan30millionareunderage24,indicatingahighnumberofteachersandinstructors.See“ Альманах Узбекистан

2013[UzbekistanAlmanac2013],”CenterforEconomicResearch,availableat:http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/

DAM/hlm/prgm/cph/experts/uzbekistan/01_general_info/Almanach_Uzbekistana_2013_RUS.pdf .

AnnouncementataclinicinJizzakRegion:

“Everyonewenttothecottonharvest”.

http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/hlm/prgm/cph/experts/uzbekistan/01_general_info/Almanach_Uzbekistana_2013_RUS.pdfhttp://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/hlm/prgm/cph/experts/uzbekistan/01_general_info/Almanach_Uzbekistana_2013_RUS.pdfhttp://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/hlm/prgm/cph/experts/uzbekistan/01_general_info/Almanach_Uzbekistana_2013_RUS.pdfhttp://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/hlm/prgm/cph/experts/uzbekistan/01_general_info/Almanach_Uzbekistana_2013_RUS.pdfhttp://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/hlm/prgm/cph/experts/uzbekistan/01_general_info/Almanach_Uzbekistana_2013_RUS.pdf


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afternormalworkinghours.Asinothersectors,approximately40%ofemployeesfromeducational

andmedicalinstitutionsweremobilizedatatime,insomecasesmore.

AccordingtotheILO’sobservers“schoolsandhospitalsfunctionednormally,”althoughthereport

notedthatsomeattendancerecordswereapparentlyaltered.Onthecontrary,wefoundthatthe

forcedmobilizationtothecottonharvestunderminedtheprovisionofbasicservices.Schools,

hospitals,andclinicsstruggledtooperatewhilesignificantportionsoftheirworkforcewereinthefields.

Employeesofthehealthandeducationsectorsareamongthelowestpaidprofessionalsin

Uzbekistan,buttendtoenjoyrelativelystableemployment.Ininterviewafterinterview,employees

ofthesesectorstoldusthattheypickedcottonforthesolereasonthattheyfearedlosingtheirjobs

aboveall.AnursefromSyrdaryatoldus:

We have no understanding of the ability to refuse to pick cotton. People who work in public

institutions are those who are prepared to tolerate [forced work]. Of course no one wants to

lose his job. The chief doctor tells us ‘I don’t send you to the fields of my own accord. I am

also only carrying out orders.’ You need to understand him. He says he is required to fire

any employee who refuses to work. There are a lot of unemployed people. Especially those

who have completed medical training, with diplomas in hand, looking for jobs. He warned

us, if any of us don’t like to pick cotton, he’ll hire one of them.63

AcollegeinstructorfromJizzakhsaid,“Thecollegehasinstitutedthateveryteachermustdohis

time[pickingcotton].Becauseifonedoesn’tgo,theburdenfallstoanother.Thereforeeveninvalid

andelderlyteachersdotheirtime.Theyeithersendoneoftheirchildrentopickcottonorhire

someone…Ofcourseitwouldbebetterifwecouldjustdoourjobs.Butwedemandlittle.Nooneasks

us.Theyonlyorderus.Anditisimpossibletorefuse.”64

Asinpreviousyears,in2015teachersandmedicalworkerstoldusthattheymustpaysignificant

bribestosecureemployment.65Thisfactraisesthecosttoworkerswhomayattempttorefusetopick

cotton–notonlydotheyrisktheirjobs,theyfacefinancialcostsinsecuringnewemployment.Itwas

amajorfactorcitedbytheeducationandhealthcareemployeesweinterviewedforwhytheyfeltthey

couldnotrefusetopickcotton.

Thenotionthattheseworkersembracetheharvestasan“opportunity”isborneoutneitherbylogic

norourresearch,sincenearlyeveryoneweinterviewedsaidthattheydidnotearnmuchpicking

cotton,whilepickingcottonimposedcostsonfamilies,causedphysicalstress,andprofessional

disruption.Allteachers,doctors,andotherprofessionalsweinterviewedsaidtheywouldratherdo

theirownjobsthanpickcotton.Noneofthedoctorsorteachersweinterviewedsaidthattheywere

willingtopickcottonorviewedtheharvestasameanstosupplementtheirincomes.Instead,they

63 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithnurse,Syrdaryaregion,November10,2015.

64 Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithacollegeteacherwhowasforcedtopickcotton,Jizzakhregion,November5,

2015.

65 Forexample,wedocumentedthecaseofanursewhopaid$200togetajobinahospitalthatpaidtheequivalentof$40permonth,andthecaseofapediatricianwithnineyears’trainingwhoinunabletofindemploymentbecause

shedoesnothave$2000requiredtopayabribe.Uzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithnurse,Tashkent,September

2015;andUzbek-GermanForuminterviewwithpediatrician,Tashkent,September2015.


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toldusthattheyincurreddirectcosts,forfoodandnecessitiesorreplacementworkers,aswellas

additionalprofessionalburdens.Regardingthemobilizationofmedicalpersonnel,asourcetoldus:

No one has any motivation to pick cotton of their own will because it pays very little. You

bend over all day to pick 50 kilos of cotton and get paid only 8,000 soum (approximately

$1.50 USD). The government has promised 230 soum per kilo. When the money to pay the

workers gets to the bank, the tax collectors withhold 8% for income tax, in total 30 soumper kilo, leaving 200 soum. And here the cotton collection headquarters accepts physical

kilograms [the amount actually picked] but pays for conditional kilograms [clean cotton

with no moisture or debris] and so for first harvest cotton it withholds about 10%. And

then there are shortages, undercounting, mistakes by the farmer, falsification of the

scales at the cotton headquarters and in the end the picker receives only 8,000 soum for

50 kilograms picked. The only ones who have desire [to pick] are those who are hired by

people from Tashkent [as replacement workers]. People from Tashkent pay 10,000 – 25,000

(approximately $1.67 – 4.17 USD) daily in cash to everyone they hire in addition to what they

are paid for the cotton. A nurse would never go pick cotton of her own accord. She only goes

because she is afraid to lose her job. To get hired as a nurse requires a bribe, minimum

$100 or the equivalent of a month’s wages.66

AmedicalworkerfromBukharasaid,“Myfamilyreceivednoprofitfromcotton.Myfamilyonly

sufferedlosses.”67AmedicalworkerinSyrdaryareportedasimilarexperience:

I was at the harvest around 40 days. I earned 600,000 soum [approximately $100 USD]. But

let’s say 30% went for food, maybe even more… I spent 20% on clothes [for harvesting]. Half

of my income went to expenses for cotton. And the remaining 300,000 soum [approximately

$50 USD] I spent on supplies for my children. I worked for 40 days with no rest and half the

income went to expenses! I didn’t buy anything for myself, I spent the 40-day profit on my

children in one day. It’s not much money.68

In2015wereceivedconsistentreportsfromallregionsmonitoredthat,likewithstudents,some

teachersandmedicalworkerswererequiredtosignstatementsthattheirparticipationintheharvest

wasvoluntary.Tellingly,oftenthestatementsincludedanoteindicatingthatthepersonwouldbe

willingtoacceptdisciplinaryactionorpunishmentiftheyoptednottopi

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