Triangle held high-level meetings with the leaders of trade unions of Georgia, the Minister of IDPs, Labor, Health and Social Protection of Georgia, employees who are members of trade unions, women’s and youth committees and made a summary comment to the media.

At the meetings, the Secretary General of the International Trade Union Confederation  and the President of the Georgian Trade Unions Confederation reviewed the labor market of Georgia and the world, the rights of employees, challenges and progress, the importance of EU directives, the role of the world trade unions and issues of future support.

My presence here in Georgia is important because Georgia is a country that plays an important role in the region. First of all, when we talk about human rights, trade union rights, freedom of association, these are the values ​​of democracy and Georgia needs to be an example to show how the rights of employees are protected. I understand how hard it is sometimes to work and survive. I am voicing everything with the ILO, the United Nations, our organization and I want to say that Georgia is not only a country, it is part of the region, therefore, it is important that the voice of Georgian employees is heard not only at their institutional level, but globally. I hope that the policy will improve and politicians and employers will understand the importance of regulating the labor market. Georgian Trade Unions Confederation is already a strong organization, it needs to continue to work and grow. I promise that I will continue to work with my colleagues on the next steps to make progress.

Regarding the minimum wage, the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation noted that the issue is really problematic in Georgia.

Employed persons do not have the appropriate conditions for a dignified life, because the minimum wage in Georgia is 20 GEL as of today. We need labor market institutions that will regulate the labor market, this includes: existence of social dialogue, collective bargaining, labor inspection. We need to increase the minimum wage through social dialogue and collective bargaining, which will guarantee social peace in the country,” he said.

Irakli Petriashvili, President of the Georgian Trade Unions Confederation, spoke about the importance of the visit of the Secretary General of the ITUC  and noted that the visit of the first person of the ITUC  highlighted the achievement of Georgian trade unions, both within the country and in the ITUC movement.

It was very important to meet our sisters and brothers who work in different sectors. About 50 employees came from: Adjara, Kutaisi, Kakheti, various regions. They talked about their problems. The general secretary of the ITUC drew some parallels in his conversation with the current events in the world. At the meetings, the role of Georgian Trade Unions and the contribution we make to the ITUC were clearly described by him. At the meeting with the Minister of Health, I would say that perhaps even better than I, Mr. Luk presented the problems that Georgian trade unions and, therefore, Georgian citizens have in the labor market. These are the lack of social dialogue, issues related to the minimum wage, problems related to the employment of young people, as well as the imbalance between women’s and men’s wages, problems accompanying maternity leave, informal employment, which is a serious problem, etc. In connection with the mentioned issues, even closer cooperation was planned, which was naturally agreed upon by both sides. Moreover, as you know, together with the Ministry, we signed the decent employment program of the International Labor Organization, where it is written what issues should be resolved within the framework of this memorandum, and among them, many issues are outlined, which Luke Triangle spoke about at the meeting today – said Irakli Petriashvili.

The ITUC is a global labor movement, an organization that unites trade union movements around the world. Such high-level meetings are a prerequisite for the voice of Georgian workers to be heard everywhere in the halls and rooms where decisions are made, which should ensure decent working conditions and a safe environment for Georgian employees.