The head of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Labor is dismissed for "clumsy" outreach

Serik Abdenov, the head of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Labor, famous on the Internet for his remark "because," has been fired today, in fact, for this same remark , after criticism from President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

"By the Decree of the state leader, Serik Sakbaldievich Abdenov is dismissed from the position of Minister of Labor and Social Protection. The Decree of Nursultan Nazarbayev assigns temporary performance of the duties of the Minister of Labor and Social Protection to the Vice-Minister  T. Duisenova," RIA Novosti reports, referring to the press service of Ak-Orda.

 It should be recalled that Kazakhstan plans to gradually raise the retirement age for women by six month, within 10 years. This obviously unpopular idea is due to the fact that the increase in the retirement age gives women time to accumulate enough money to receive an amount comparable to the pension for men. It was Abdenov who was entrusted to convey the value and necessity of the pension reform to the people.

But Abdenov, according to Nazarbayev, behaved "clumsily", and his task caused only negative reactions among the population. His speech to metallurgists in Temirtau ruined him as a minister: when asked by women why they will now have to work until the age of 63, the minister replied briefly: "because."

As a result, Nazarbayev recalled the law for revision, in order to reduce public outrage, while Abdenov paid the price of his position for his unwillingness to work.