Vice-Mayor: City Hall Cannot Increase Salaries of Metro Workers

Vice-Mayor of Tbilisi Irakli Khmaladze has stated that City Hall cannot afford to increase the salaries of Tbilisi Metro employees, "neither by 45% nor by 10%."

Khamaladze claims there is not enough money in the budget of the capital, therefore, the salaries of the metro workers cannot be increased.

“We can discuss the issue in 2019. The Mayor’s Office will revise the issue of the salaries only next year but we cannot guarantee anything,” he stated, adding that City Hall "always tries to give its employees proper salaries."

Tbilisi metro employees have been on strike since June 3, which paralyzed the metro and created transport problems throughout the capital. They demand a 45% increase in their salaries.

Although the buses have been announced as free of charge to ride on since June 3, it has done nothing to alleviate congestion and overcrowding as city-dwellers wait at bus-stops during rush hour to squeeze on already-full buses to get to and from work.

Opposition United National Movement (UNM) member, Zaal Udumashvili, says the budget of the capital saw around a 600,000 GEL loss since the metro stopped.

“The 600,000 GEL loss which the budget saw these days would be enough to raise the salaries of these people. I call on City Hall to move faster in its decision-making,” he stated.

By Thea Morrison