Meat products company Georgian House (formerly Abd & Co.) was once again exposed for gross violations of employees’ rights. This Ukrainian-owned company offers tough conditions to its employees in both the manufacturing and sales sectors. The products of the mentioned company are found in Georgian supermarkets, the spaces for sale are mainly arranged in Carrefour halls. In the same halls you have meetings with employees whose work is very hard, harmful and insufficiently remunerated. Added to all this heaviness are a number of violations of the law caused by the irresponsibility and greed of employers, including:
- Ltd. Georgian House is late in paying salaries and / or pays less to employees;
- Georgian House fines the employees large amounts of salaries without any adequate justification. For example, the amount of the last fine is 49% of the salary. If we take into account that the salary of the employees is 500-600 GEL, the amount of the fine is so high that the employees will not be able to save themselves even from month to month;
- Working conditions are harsh – Employees are prohibited from even sitting for short hours during working hours, regardless of whether or not the employee needs to stand on their feet at a particular moment.
- The company restricts employees’ freedom of expression and association through pressure and threats. There are also dismissals of employees on discriminatory grounds.
In accordance with the current legislation, the employees and trade unions applied to the Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs to initiate negotiations to resolve these and other issues and request the appointment of a mediator.
The mediation process ended practically in vain, Ltd. Georgian House fired 4 employees involved in the collective dispute and some of the employees were fined 49% of their salaries.
From October 28, employees will have the legal right to strike, which means that they have the right not to go to work, although the workers remain in the negotiation format and still avoid aggravating the process. Which once again proves, that it was not the employees’ intention to strike when initiating a collective dispute, they demanded that the employer adhere to the minimum standards of labour law and be treated appropriately for human dignity. Consequently, the employees continue the process of negotiating with Company, but from the opposite side they face only pressure, persecution and harmful practices of restricting the freedom of association.
Employees continue to struggle, and in case of non-compliance with their requirements, they intend to use the powers already granted by the Constitution and already the Organic Law and go on strike. We would like to remind you that according to the Georgian law, dismissal of an employee who is on a “legal strike” is prohibited.
