Legally employed Georgians in Germany report difficult working and living conditions
By Khatia Bzhalava
Thursday, May 20
According to the Georgian Trade Union (GTUC), 24 Georgian citizens employed in Germany within a seasonal employment program are in unwelcoming working conditions. As Georgian Trade Union announced yesterday, these individuals do not receive the promised salary.
GTUC has published a statement informing that the salaries of those people are Euro3 instead of the agreed Euro9 per hour. In addition, the statement reads that Georgians live in ‘unbearable’ conditions.
This group of Georgian citizens in the program are receiving a lower salary because the on-site employer decided to reduce working hours for them. As one of the employees of the program, Jaba Chachanidze, told Formula TV, according to the contract, he was supposed to work eight hours a day, six days a week, however, the employer told him that he would only work four hours and would also be paid according to the number of strawberries harvested. The Georgian side stresses that they have not faced a similar problem with any other employer so far.
GTUC called on the German ambassador to study the issue and the Minister of Labor and Health of Georgia, Ekaterine Tikaradze, to immediately show interest in the subject, as the employment of Georgian citizens in Germany is organized by the Employment Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Labor.
The Employment Promotion Agency has responded to the problem stating that they have active communication with Georgian citizens who have been legally employed in Germany. According to the agency, as soon as they were informed about the problems that one group of Georgians face in Germany, they contacted the Federal Employment Agency, which in turn, involved relevant German government agencies in this process.
According to Nino Veltauri, the head of the State Employment Agency, as a result of communications with the Employment Agency of Germany, the employer has started to take specific measures to improve the working and living conditions in this particular group of Georgians. The employer also agreed to pay hourly wages only for seasonal workers from Georgia.
“If the condition is not fulfilled, we demand the redistribution of the members of this particular group with other employers,” stated Veltauri. According to the agency, the citizens who did not receive the promised salary will be reimbursed for their working hours.
In January 2020, the German Employment Agency and the Georgian Employment Promotion Agency signed the employment agreement for Georgian citizens to find seasonal jobs in Germany. Under this agreement, 4 groups of 54 Georgians left for Germany from April 14 to May 15, 2021. Participants of the program are employed in the agricultural sector.
