Georgian Railway Reacts to Employees’ Decision to Strike
The pay Georgian Railway gives its employees has been the subject of interest and protest for some time now. The situation this week reached a peak and workers say they plan to go on a strike. Their demand is loud and clear: a 50% raise in salary. The new Professional Union of the Georgian Railway will reveal the start date for the strike on August 10.
On Sunday, the Secretary of the Head of the Professional Union, Ilia Lezhava, pointed out that they have shown the company a written plan for the hows and whens of the demanded pay rise. As he reported early Sunday, the mediation process has also begun, but the administration of the Railway refuses any further discussions and negotiations.
“At this point, 4,800 people are a part of this process – they have signed a petition, demanding the strike procedures begin. Our professional union has one thing left to do– to make sure these procedures meet the rule of law so that the strike will be legal. The administration, regrettably, has no communication with us,” Lezhava said.
A few hours after Lezhava’s comment, the Georgian Railway released a statement. The beginning of the text is reassuring, explaining that it is the company’s priority to meet and satisfy the demands and needs of its workers. “That said, the employees’ needs and demands also, must meet the company’s abilities,” it said, implying the demand of 50% salary increase.
The Georgian Railway’s statement released on Sunday goes into detail to describe the “senselessness” of the recent demand. “We’d like to once again to point out that the company management is willing to negotiate with our staff around any logical demand. However, to participate in a mediation process that asks for 50% growth of salaries is senseless.”
The company called the demand “an unrealistic, populist issue” and brought into question the points made by Lezhava, saying that “since each Georgian Railway employee is fully aware of the company's financial situation, it is not true that some 4,800 employees are preparing to go on strike. What’s more, the professional union unites only 400 members and so has no legitimate ability to speak for the whole collective, nor to announce the intention to go on strike with a demand that cannot possibly be satisfied.”
As the official statement promises, starting from March 1 of 2020, each employee of Georgian Railway that is monthly paid less than 1500 GEL, will get 10% raise. Additionally, each staff member, regardless of their salary, working for the Georgian Railway, will get a fixed bonus twice a year.
The statement confirms that the terms of the strike will be presented and discussed on August 10 at the company’s assembly.
By Nini Dakhundaridze