Demonstration with the request of effective labor inspection was held in front of the State Chancellery

Lana Giorgidze

On October 28, a warning demonstration with the request to immediately review labor policy and to create effective labor inspection was held in front of the Government Administration. 

The demonstration was organized by the representatives of Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), Georgian Trade Union Confederation, Auditorium 115, Women’s Gaze, Young Greens, Green Fist, Cyber Theatre of Indirect Action, Praxis, Tbilisi Solidarity Network, Self-organization Network and White Noise Movement. 

Tamuna Keburia, the representative of the EMC, informed the demonstration participants about the death of a person on the working/. 

“The today’s demonstration requests review of the labor security policy. We, the organizers and supporters of the demonstration, call on the government to review the labor security policy, which means to create strong and effective Labor Inspection Service. Of course, Labor Inspection Service shall have real rights and mandate to visit working places without worning and act accordingly in case of violations”, - Lina Ghvinianidze, the representative of EMC, told humanrights.ge.

 

Lina Ghvinianidze said nowadays inspection mechanism has no real power to fine a company, which violates employee’s rights. 

“A representative of the Labor Inspection can enter an enterprise only if it has preliminary consent. However, if there is a notice about labor exploitation and trafficking, the Labor Inspection enters the working place immediately. We believe the rule shall be generalized and the Labor Inspection shall have unlimited access to working places”, - Gvinianidze declared. 

Georgian Trade Union Confederation also requested effective Labor Inspection.  

“Like tax inspection, which checks whether taxes are paid, and as an environment inspection which aims to ensure enforcement of the law in practice, the labor inspection shall also exist. The Labor Inspection shall monitor implementation of the labor legislation in everyday life. In majority cases, private and state enterprises violate employees’ rights, in particular, people do not have holidays and their extra work is not reimbursed; neither the hours of sick-leave are reimbursed. The Labor Inspection shall check those and other issues”, - Gocha Aleksandria, the deputy head of the GTUC, told humanrights.ge. 

Gocha Aleksandria claimed it is written in the European Union Association Agreement that Georgia will create Labor Inspection according to the International Labor Organization’s 81st Convention. 

Giorgi Kobakhidze, the representative of Solidarity Network, said the weakness of the Labor Code and the Labor Inspection is obvious as number of injuries and deaths increase on working places and almost each day media reports about labor injuries. 

The organizers and supporters of the demonstration whistled to the Government of Georgia and requested to pass real reforms in order to ensure functional labor inspection for health, security and dignity.