11:52, 26 August 2019

Rights defenders call on Georgian govt to reform labour legislation

Miners. Photo by Beslan Kmuzov for the "Caucasian Knot"

The Human Right Watch (HRW) has studied the miners' working conditions in Georgia. The government should seek clear regulation of working hours, observance by employers of rest and night work regimes, and of payment for overtime and work on holidays, human rights defenders have stated.

"Georgia needs a reform of labour legislation in order to meet international standards and country's human rights commitments," said Giorgi Gogiya, the HRW's representative in Georgia.

The miners' safety is under serious threat because of insufficient regulation by the government, Mr Gogiya has stated, adding that methods used for extracting subsoil assets threaten workers' safety.

NGO activists have visited the mine in Chiatura, whose workers in May, through a strike, sought to improve their working conditions. However, the situation at this and similar mines has not changed, said Giorgi Gogiya.

"Miners demanded an improvement in their living conditions: after their 15-hour-long shifts, they wanted to return home, not to hostels, but their demands have not been met," he has noted.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 26, 2019 at 03:42 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Galina Gotua

Source: CK correspondent