Workers’ statement against draft laws on “foreign agents”

5 Mar, 2023

We address you as individuals who have experienced oppression, labor rights violations, job dismissals, discrimination, work without pay and degrading wages in our places of employment.

We believe that if the two undemocratic “foreign agent” bills under consideration in parliament become law, workers will lose essential support for defending our labor rights.

Financial assistance from friendly countries – and free legal assistance provided by civil society organizations funded by this money – has been critical in enabling us to fight labor rights violations in court and bring them to the attention of the Labor Inspectorate.

Legal services are expensive and not particularly accessible for people who have been dismissed from work. Moreover, it is never easy for an individual employee to challenge labor rights violations perpetrated by the government or a large, influential private organization. Well-funded, courageous legal aid organizations play an essential role in helping employees stand up to the state, political power and the massive financial resources of the private sector. If not for the support of foreign donors, we would be alone to face these powerful forces. Our struggle to restore our labor rights violated by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Health, other public agencies and private corporations is not over and continues to this day in various institutions. Its success depends on the help of foreign funds.

Equally important to our fight has been the existence of civil society organizations which work to protect the rights to freedom of association and to establish trade unions. Unions allow employees to fight unfair labor practices, promote democratization of the workplace, and raise workers’ voices in an environment thoroughly dominated by the power of big capital and the state. But they need support to be effective. Unions rely on civil society organizations for various forms of support, from seeking legal advice before calling a strike to receiving technical guidance on staging protests.

Finally, we note that the proposed bills would decimate small, independent media outlets which workers rely on to raise awareness of labor rights violations. The mainstream Georgian media usually ignores the struggles of victims of labor rights violations. Without the support of alternative media, our problems would become even more invisible and limit our ability to build public support during strikes, protests and other labor disputes.

We reiterate our protest and concern regarding the two draft bills. They will deprive us of essential mechanisms to protect our labor rights and ultimately be harmful for workers. They will also gravely damage Georgia’s prospects for further integration with the European Union, which we see as a powerful mechanism for worker welfare and social security in the long term.

Signatories:

  1. Science Education and Culture Trade Union
  2. “Guild” – an independent trade union in the field of culture and media
  3. Union of Social Workers
  4. Alternative professional union of Adjara television and radio of public water bodies;
  5. Robert Margishvili – metro employee, member of the board of the independent union of metro drivers “Ertoba 2013”
  6. The majority of the board members of the independent union of Tbilisi metro drivers “Ertoba 2013”
  7. Zakaria Metreveli – “Couriers Platform”
  8. Mariam Alikhanashvili – “Wake up activism”
  9. Eka Kiknadze – former employee of the National Museum of Georgia
  10. Dinara Vachnadze – former employee of the National Museum of Georgia
  11. Lika Mamatsashvili – former employee of the National Museum of Georgia
  12. Davit Nioradze – former employee of the National Museum of Georgia
  13. Nana Burchuladze – former employee of the National Museum of Georgia
  14. Ana Mgeladze – former employee of the National Museum of Georgia
  15. Ana Verulashvili – former employee of the National Museum of Georgia
  16. Nino Akhalaia – former employee of the Ministry of Culture
  17. Eka Kacharava – former employee of the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Protection
  18. Khatuna Kharatishvili – former employee of the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia
  19. Tamar Niniashvili – former employee of the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia
  20. Besik Matsaberidze – former employee of the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia
  21. Marina Taktakishvili – former employee of the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia
  22. Davit Lomitashvili – former employee of the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia
  23. Lali Akhalaia – former employee of the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia
  24. Manana Nikabadze – former employee of the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia
  25. Eka Tabukashvili – former employee of the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia
  26. Gaga Chkheidze – former employee of the National Center of Cinematography of Georgia
  27. Beso Solomanashvili – former member of the competition commission of the National Center of Cinematography of Georgia
  28. Elene Gakharia – former employee of the Rustavi Art, Sports and Youth Center
  29. Natali Jakhutashvili – former employee of Adjara Public Broadcaster
  30. Artur Elbakidze – former employee of “Formula” television company
  31. Jemal Nakaidze – former employee of “Formula” TV company
  32. Akaki Zoidze – former employee of “Byblus” company
  33. Nugzar Furtseladze – former employee of “Byblus” company
  34. Nino Varshanidze – former employee of “Biblus” company
  35. Rusudan Roinishvili – former employee of “Black Sea Group” company
  36. Tornike Abashidze – former employee of “Black C Group” company
  37. Giorgi Lazariashvili – former employee of “Evolution Georgia”
  38. Khatuna Begiashvili – Association of Kindergartens of Rustavi
  39. Nodar Avdaliani – Union of Kindergartens of Tbilisi
  40. Nelli Kareli-Kakhidze – Tkibuli Municipality Mayor’s Office
  41. Khatia Berodze – former employee of Tkibuli Municipality City Hall
  42. Elsa Gvenetadze – former employee of Tkibuli Municipality City Hall
  43. Tengiz Tevzadze – former employee of Tkibuli Municipality City Hall
  44. Giorgi Chkhaidze – former employee of the Batumi Professional State Theater of Puppets and Young Spectators
  45. Lia Tavadze – former employee of Batumi auto transport
  46. Mindia Baramia – former employee of Poti Municipality Services Center
  47. Gvantsa Chkhartishvili – former employee of the pre-school educational center of Lanchkhuti municipality
  48. Naira Cimintia – former employee of the Historical Museum of Chkhorotsku Municipality
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