Strikes in Georgia: first victory for protesters
In Georgia, the strike of social agents ended in victory; their duties include identifying families in need of government assistance. The work involves constant stress, traveling around villages and hard-to-reach places of residence in any weather. The wages of social agents remained miserable for years (about 130 US dollars, an allowance for a family visited was 60 cents), and travel expenses were not reimbursed.
The strike participants' demands were as follows: a 100% increase in wages; a collective labor contract instead of a one-month individual one; salary equation for agents working in Tbilisi and in the regions; indexation of wages according to inflation; stopping unjustified reductions in agency staff; compensation for transportation costs.
Social agents spent about two years moving towards an all-Georgian strike. Numerous appeals to the Ministry of Labor, actions and pickets in Tbilisi and the regions, coverage of demands in the media - everything was tried. The ministry's repeated promises to pay attention to the problems of the labor collective remained just promises.
And so, with the help of the independent trade union “Solidnet”, a strike was organized with widespread protests by social agents. Separately, it should be noted about Solidnet. For several years now, this non-governmental organization has been helping both labor collectives and individual workers free of charge in protecting their rights before employers. Solidnet provides highly effective legal and organizational support to employees of both the public and commercial sectors of the economy. This NGO already has many individual victories of a legal nature. It can also be noted here that exploitation by the state is sometimes worse than private exploitation. An example of this is the attitude of the Ministry of Labor and Health towards social agents. It’s not surprising – our state is neoliberal and ultra-right.
Half of the social agents (out of about 800 throughout the country) took part in the strike. A compromise has been reached. Working conditions have improved significantly. Officials promised a 40-60% increase in salaries and paid maternity leave; annual employment contract (individual type); increased overtime earnings ratio. Social agents intend to continue the fight.
Given the discriminatory labor code and the inexperienced Georgian labor movement, the ministry's concessions can be considered a landmark victory for Georgia's independent trade union movement.
As PolitNavigator reported, in Georgia, the main topic of the political agenda is the impoverishment of the people, the intolerable social situation of the lower classes, the inability and unwillingness of the authorities to change the flawed economic policy.
At the same time, the left political flank in ultra-liberal Georgia has been purged, and communist ideology is prohibited by law. Therefore, traditional slogans for left-wing parties are now being used by Mikheil Saakashvili’s political forces (although they themselves carried out liberal reforms), intending to deceive voters and return to power.
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