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Journalists of TV-Company Dia Complain about Breached Labor Rights

September 22, 2014
 
Lado Bichashvili, Shida Kartli 

12 employees of the TV-Company Dia quitted job. They say the reason of their decision was “cabal labor contracts” the administration offered to them. On September 22, journalists held press conference in the Gori office of the Civic Engagement Center and stated that whole team of the TV-Company Dia quitted job; among them are: head of news room, journalists, cameramen, TV-program anchors, development managers, editor and technical personnel. 

Nino Chibchiuri, former head of the news room at Dia: “The offered contracts were unacceptable for us. None of our rights were mentioned in the document; it did not meet principles of the Georgian Journalistic Ethic Charter and Law on Broadcasting. Several days ago, we asked the administration to change it but they refused. Moreover, during our last meeting on Saturday, the administration members told us it was final version of our labor contracts and they were not going to change anything. Situation escalated after David Meladze, husband of the TV-Company’s director, came drunk to the TV-Company and tried to clear up situation in an insulting manner; he said “I am a boss here and you must do whatever I order you; otherwise you will lose jobs”. We have doubts. They (administration) often speak about upcoming 2016 and say that they do not want to highlight some cases. We doubt the TV-Company is waiting for 2016 parliamentary elections and is politicized.”  

Former journalists of the TV-Company Dia speak about the interference in the editorial activities by the administration members and state that the TV Company intended to switch into extraordinary regime before 2016 parliament elections. Journalist Malkhaz Mikeladze said Maia Tatuashvili, head of the TV-channel, blocked investigative documentary about assigning lands to the relatives of the Georgian Dream’s members. Journalist stated when he inquired about the reason, he was answered it was not the right time for the film.”

Director of the TV-Company Dia said the accusations are absurd during her over-phone conversation; she noted that she could not find anything new in the aforementioned investigative documentary and decided to cancel it.

Maya Tatulashvili, director of Dia: “I wanted qualified journalists to work for my TV-Company. Those journalists did not have enough competence and experience. You can see problems of their speech and low quality work in the TV-items they prepared. Professionals usually suggested me that our journalists needed training. Afterwards, I drafted a contract, which stated that they could start working in our rival TV-Company no earlier than three years after they left our TV-Company. I intended to invite trainers, who will teach them speaking and preparation of high-quality programs. Apparently, they got afraid they could not meet the requirements and quit the TV-channel.”

Lawyers also agree that rights of employees were breached in the labor contracts. Representatives of the Gori office of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association clarify that labor contracts proposed to journalists contradict the Labor Code of Georgia. 

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