Tashkent teacher wins lawsuit over unpaid compensation, receives 337 million UZS

According to the Uzbekistan Education and Science Workers’ Union, D.M., who works at a school in Tashkent’s Sergeli district, was awarded this amount following legal proceedings.

The teacher had previously filed a complaint with the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan in 2024, stating that she had developed an occupational illness and had not received the corresponding compensation.

According to a certificate issued on April 2, 2024, by the Medical and Social Expert Commission (MSEC) of the Sergeli district under the National Agency for Social Protection, the teacher was classified in the third disability group due to an occupational illness, with a 40% loss of professional working capacity. The assessment is valid until April 30, 2025, with a follow-up examination scheduled for April 2, 2025 (MSEC determines the degree of disability due to loss of professional ability for a period of one year. In this case, the term ends on April 30, but a re-examination was set for April 2 to assess whether her condition had improved – Ed.).

Despite this, no compensation payments related to her occupational illness had been made.

“The Uzbekistan Education and Science Workers’ Union investigated the appeal. Based on the findings, it was determined that from April 2024 through January 2025, D.M. had not received monthly compensation for harm to her health due to her occupational illness, calculated at 40% of her average monthly salary. Furthermore, from January 2025 onward, the payments were miscalculated, and a one-time compensation payment had not been made by the Sergeli District Department of Preschool and School Education,” the report stated.

In accordance with the Labor Code, an employer is obligated to compensate an employee for harm to life or health resulting from a workplace injury or occupational illness. Based on this legal requirement, the Republican Council of the Education and Science Workers’ Union submitted an official directive to the employer on December 5, 2024. However, the employer failed to comply in due time.

As a result, specialists from the Council filed a lawsuit with the Sergeli Interdistrict Civil Court of Tashkent.

In a ruling dated March 25, 2025, the court partially upheld the claim. The court ordered the respondent — the Sergeli District Department of Preschool and School Education — to pay the plaintiff D.M. the following:

• 19,275,204 UZS in damages
• 48,188,011 UZS in one-time compensation
• 268,706,187 UZS and 13 tiyin for delayed payments
• 1,000,000 UZS for moral damages
• 37,500 UZS in postal expenses