Public Defender of Georgia Meets with Striking Employees of Evolution Georgia
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, August 23, 2024
Public Defender of Georgia Levan Ioseliani and Deputy Public Defender Irine Chikhladze recently met with striking employees of Evolution Georgia LLC to discuss their ongoing labor dispute. The meeting, aimed at addressing the workers' concerns, was reported by the Public Defender's office.
The strikers, who have been on strike since July 12, highlighted several serious issues, including violations of labor rights, unhygienic and health-threatening working conditions, and degrading treatment by management. Additionally, four of the strikers are on a hunger strike, with one having undergone lip sewing as a form of protest.
Levan Ioseliani acknowledged that the issues raised are deeply tied to labor conditions and the enforcement of labor norms. However, he noted that the Public Defender's office, due to its limited mandate over the private sector, does not have the authority to mediate the dispute directly. "Each issue in this collective labor dispute is directly related to labor conditions and the effective use of labor norms. Given our limited mandate, we are unable to lead the mediation process," Ioseliani said.
The Public Defender's office has called on Evolution Georgia to comply with labor legislation and engage in timely and effective conciliation procedures with the striking employees. Ioseliani emphasized, "From the first day of the protest, we began examining their issues on our own initiative and have issued several public statements urging both the employer and the labor inspectorate to address the concerns."
The striking employees are demanding several changes, including wage increases, improvements in working conditions, the immediate dismissal of managers accused of bullying, racism, and sexism, and the signing of lifetime contracts with new hires. They have also called for government intervention and placed full responsibility on both the company and the government for the ongoing situation.
The Public Defender's office continues to monitor the situation and advocates for a resolution that addresses the workers' demands while urging Evolution Georgia and relevant authorities to take appropriate action.
