weak workers’ protection

Three workers seriously injured at construction site of Panorama Tbilisi

By | April 17th, 2019|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

(Facebook/Irakli Kupradze.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Three workers were seriously injured on Tuesday in central Tbilisi after falling from a building during construction work on a new luxury complex owned by the billionaire and former Georgian prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. The three injured construction workers, who are aged 19 to 21, have all been hospitalized with fractures [...]

Protesters demand safer workplaces after four die in coal mine

By | May 10th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Three people were detained in Tbilisi on Tuesday during a protest in response to a mining accident that took four lives earlier the same day. The protesters from student group Auditorium #115 and trade union activists gathered in front of the […]

Three Chinese citizens arrested in Georgia, suspected of assaulting workers

By | November 4th, 2016|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia arrested three Chinese citizens on Thursday, as workers on a railway line in western Georgia claim that they were beaten by representatives of the company. In a short statement, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) said its investigators […]

One more construction worker dies in Tbilisi, the second in two days

By | October 21st, 2016|Categories: News|Tags: , |

(Unrelated photo.) (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One more construction worker died in Tbilisi on Thursday; the second fatality at a construction site in two days. The accident happened as pipes were being unloaded from a truck on Khizanishvili Street in the northern Mukhiani district of the capital, […]

Debate on the need of pro-social labour reforms

By | November 26th, 2015|Categories: Society|Tags: |

Holiday Inn, Tbilisi (DFWatch) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Debate between the representatives of the government and different interest groups intensifies as pro-social labour market reforms are being implemented. On 25 November, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Georgia hosted the […]

Two miners injured in Chiatura, Georgia

By | November 20th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two mine workers were injured Thursday as result of an accident at a manganese mine in Chiatura, a town in western Georgia. According to Tamaz Dolaberidze, head of the mining and metallurgical workers’ trade union, the accident took […]

RMG Gold suffers partial loss in lawsuit by fired miners

By | September 9th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

The miners have strong support in their community. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Trade Union has won a lawsuit against RMG Gold, the mining company which destroyed an ancient gold mine at Sakdrisi in December, 2014. Many locals have been employed in the company, and the jobs sustain families in surrounding villages. […]

May Day rally in Tbilisi focused on dangerous work conditions

By | May 2nd, 2015|Categories: Youth|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Youth activists marched through the streets of the Georgian capital on Friday to mark the International Workers’ Day and protest against intolerable work conditions. (DF Watch.) There were demonstrations and gatherings several places in Tbilisi on May 1, separately organized […]

Trade union blames weak worker protection for deaths in the workplace

By | January 27th, 2015|Categories: Society|Tags: , |

This woman’s job is to remove pieces of wood and other impurities from the manganese ore, using her bare hands. Chiatura. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Trade Union blames a weak labor code for what it says is a rise in the number of deaths in the workplace since the Saakashvili regime took away almost all worker protection in 2006. During Saakashvili, the labor code was changed so there […]

Georgia’s labor code still favors employers

By | December 9th, 2014|Categories: Opinion|Tags: , |

Sarah Delys is a criminologist working for Human Rights Education and Monitoring Centre in Tbilisi. Last week hundreds of train workers went on strike after negotiations to improve working conditions and raise salaries failed. The strikers demand overtime compensation, new salary rules and a 13th month salary payment [1]. Leaders of the trade union say the railway […]

Workers rally outside clinic treating burnt miners

By | June 11th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , |

The workers want back the Labor Inspection to ensure a safer workplace environment. (Photo published by GTUC on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Trade Union demonstrated outside a hospital in Tbilisi on Tuesday to show solidarity with workers who were burnt in a fire in a coal mine the day before. Two of the injured workers after the fire in a Tkibuli coal mine are still in a difficult […]

One man dies in accident at Zestaponi metal plant

By | June 9th, 2014|Categories: Society|Tags: , |

Workers at the Ferro plant in Zestaponi say conditions are still hazardous. One man died from electric shock last Tuesday. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A 50-year old man died last Tuesday night at the ferroalloy plant in Zestaponi as he was hit by a high voltage electric shock. Mamuka Nebieridze died on the spot in the June 3 accident. An investigation has been launched in order to determine whether […]

New stronger labor code comes into force

By | July 5th, 2013|Categories: Society|Tags: |

Miners and factory workers in Georgia have held many strikes protesting against the unfair conditions for workers. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–After eight months of preparations, an amended labor code has come into force after President Saakashvili signed the bill. Deputy Justice Minister Alexander Baramidze says the new labor code entirely meets European standards, which will contribute […]

Ivanishvili government to strengthen labor rights

By | January 25th, 2013|Categories: News|Tags: |

Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The new government in Georgia has presented a promised set of amendments to the labor code which it says will not only protect the rights of employers, like it was in the past. Georgia’s labor code was liberalized by the Saakashvili government […]

Georgia to introduce new tough labor code

By | November 29th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch — The new government in Georgia has started amending the country’s labor code, which has been criticized by local groups and the international community. The parliamentary committee on health care and social issues initiated a draft amendment […]

Workers rebellion spreading across Georgia

By | October 23rd, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch — The worker protests are continuing in Georgia after the election. After a week they can note a slight progress. It is more than five days since workers at the energy company Telasi went on strike asking to bring back about 125 employees who were […]

Dockers in Poti are on strike

By | October 11th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

About 200 employees of the port of Poti are on strike, local media report. The workers refuse to carry on until the people making decisions at No 14 harbor speaks to them. They demand improved working conditions, appropriate salary for the work they do and to have contracts. […]

How pro-government TV sees Georgia’s weak labor code

By | May 21st, 2012|Categories: Economy, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The labor code should contribute to employment, faster investments and motivate investors, and only after this may it possible to think about how to improve the rights and conditions of workers in Georgia. This is the position of the country’s […]

Georgia’s labor code allows firing someone for political views

By | May 18th, 2012|Categories: Economy, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – There are two articles in Georgia’s Labor Code which entitles employers to terminate a labor contract without giving any explanations or preliminary warnings. A teacher from a village in the Gori region was fired because of her husband’s political […]

Georgia stopped publishing statistics on work place deaths

By | May 11th, 2012|Categories: Economy, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – According to unofficial information, 13 people died in the work place in 2011 in Georgia. No official numbers exist for 2012 either, but media reported about a number of fatal incidents in the mining and construction sector. These fatal accidents are […]

Weak worker protection drew thousands for May 1 rally

By | May 2nd, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Thousands gathered Tuesday in central Tbilisi to celebrate the International Worker’s Day, May 1 and demonstrate in front of the parliament building. Protesters adopted an appeal to the president, government and parliament. They call on authorities […]

Give us back our rights

By | January 18th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The government in Georgia removed almost all labor protection in 2006. Now there is a growing movement to reclaim the lost rights. Labor rights campaigners demonstrated in Tbilisi Tuesday against the lack of proper protection. People gathered near the Rustaveli statue with flyers and painted posters with slogans like ‘Labor Code [...]

Investment climate used to justify weak worker security

By | December 21st, 2011|Categories: Economy, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgian workers have almost no job security due to a weak labor code. This is a conscious policy choice by the government, justified by the need to attrack investors. The main problem Georgian workers face is that an employer can fire an employee at any time without explanation. That’s one of the findings [...]