Labor Safety Law to Cover All Jobs

Georgian Parliament supported a legislative package which reads that the Law of Georgia on Labor Safety will apply not only to dangerous, heavy and hazardous labor fields, but to all sectors of economic activity.

The Parliament adopted a law on Labor Safety with the third and final reading on March 7, 2018, but it referred only to 11 areas of severe, harmful and dangerous jobs. The limited scope was heavily criticized by the non-governmental sector.

The amendments to the law were made by the legislative body on February 19. The law will apply to all sectors of economic activity, including labor relations regulated by the Organic Law of Georgia, Labor Code of Georgia and the Law of Georgia on Civil Service.

The aim of the amendments is to define the main requirements of labor safety and general principles of preventive measures in the workplace.

The legislative package envisages the creation and operation of a system of effective and working mechanisms of enforcement and inspection. The mandate of the labor inspectorate is extended and, according to the draft law, the supervisory body is authorized to check any workspace covered by the inspectorate mandate without prior warning and at any time of day or night.

Also under the new amendments, the labor inspectorate does not require advance court permission and is authorized, without prior notice, to check any workspace subject to inspection, at any time of day or night, in order to ensure effective implementation and application of labor safety norms.

The changes will take place on September 1, 2019.

By Thea Morrison