Three Hundred Employees Were Fired From the Barumi Port

First large-scaled changes took place in the Batumi Port after having it sold out. Last week, 300 employees of the port, particularly those who worked in the administration, were sacked.

The employees had information about upcoming changes one month before the fact. After dismissal, they received salaries for five months as compensation.

Ms Mzevinari is one of those three hundred people and she said that, "Everything happened within a law. The administration gave us compensation and medical police as well. We have nothing to argue about. We are simply concerned about the fact that we have to join a big army of unemployed people in Georgia. As a rule, investing results into employing more people; however, everything happened vise versa with us."

Unofficial information states that it was just start of future large scaled reduction in the port. Approximately more than 500 people will also have to leave their jobs in port. The most part of them will be dockers. Their contract time expires on December 31 and the board of the Batumi Port is not about to draw a new contract with them. If the port needs workers in future, they will hire them from the workers' exchange.

Nobody speaks about new wave of reduction in the port. Fridon Surmanidze, director of the port, said "You'd better ask these questions to the investor, Morgan Hansen." Unfortunately, the latter does not want to meet journalists.

Port employees knew about upcoming dismissal before it was purchased. Simultaneously with the negotiations between the investor and the government, the employees of the port were holding demonstrations.  The Trade Union was organizing their demonstrations. The workers demanded to include their social guarantees in the contract in order to leave them on their places.

Finally, the port was sold out, and the government did not introduce workers' demands to Ian Bonden Nielsen, owner of the Green Oak Group.   

Sofo Zhghenti, Batumi