02 May 2018

Around 80 labourers working on upgrading Georgia’s main east-west motorway have been on strike since last Sunday, demanding improvements to their working conditions. Workers on the Upper Osiauri–Chumaleti section of the road, near Khashuri, are awaiting a response to their demands from construction company SinoHydro.

According to a statement on Monday from rights group the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), ‘most of the workers do not have a copy of their own contract’, are deprived of paid overtime or sick leave, and work 70–77 hours a week.

The Georgian Trade Union Confederation (GTUC) are representing local workers in negotiations with the company. According to GTUC Deputy Head Lavrenti Alania (who also chairs the Georgian Transport and Roads Workers Union), labourers have no contracts and no days-offs...

Lezhava said that wages remain the hardest part of the negotiations, including workers’ demands for overtime payments, one day off per week, and a right to collective bargaining...