Public presentation event of the GTUC Annual Report 2016 was organized at the `Holiday Inn Tbilisi` hotel.
The key topics of the report being highlighted during the event were: social dialogue and its perspectives, legal assistance and series of court cases won by the GTUC, activities of the organization with regard to collective bargaining process that resulted in gaining 126 million GEL profit for workers as well as constitutional appeals initiated by the Trade Unions’ Coalition. Analytical work carried out by the GTUC and initiatives related to reformation of the pension system and determining the minimum wage were also emphasized.
Irakli Petriashvili, GTUC chairperson, made a special focus on cases of persecution the trade unions in number of companies and enterprises, alarming statistics of fatal incidents at workplaces as well as necessary measures to be taken in 2017 in order to have acting and effective labor inspection.
Among the main challenges for the trade unions were reprehensible work-environment, low wages and imbalanced labor rights.
`We underscored the challenges as well as accomplishments we achieved during the year. We put emphasis on the labor inspection and social dialogue as both are fiction in our country. And the fact that on the background of grave social and economic problems in the country, we still hear talks on job-cuts and reducing salaries, serves as a confirmation to that`- Petriashvili said.
Deputy Chairman of the GTUC, Gocha Aleksandria, highlighted the worrying situation related to work-safety and inactive labor-inspection that is just a formality and requires cardinal changes. `I would like to underline our successful work in legal dimension – we had more than 100 court-cases on labor rights protection won this year, that resulted in 300 000 GEL compensation for our members`- he stressed.
Representatives of the trade unions discussed Georgia’s obligations under the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union and AA requirements on harmonization of the local legislation with the EU labor regulations.
Representatives of civil society, members of GTUC partner organizations, non-governmental and governmental organizations participated in the event.
Georgian Trade Unions Confederation (GTUC)