Prospect of new Labor Code unknown as its author leaves the ruling team

Dimitri Tskitishvili, the author of the draft amendments to the Labor Code of Georgia, explains that the discussions on the document have been suspended at this stage and the process is likely to restart at the spring session of the Parliament.

“Current political developments have somehow hindered the adoption of the bill because the November-December agenda has changed and the politics completely shifted the focus on other issues,” Tskitishvili told Business Media Georgia.

Despite leaving the ruling Georgian Dream team, MP Tskitishvili is hopeful that his draft law will still find support within the team.

“I still expect support on certain issues, because the initiative was not only mine. It had many supporters, including in the Committee on Human Rights and Civil Integration and Healthcare and Social Issues Committee,” said Tskitishvili.

“It’s hard for me to say what form the document will take eventually because I no longer have the opportunity to hold negotiations. Now it depends on the competence of my colleagues. It is difficult to say how the processes will proceed,” he added.

The package of legislative amendments to the Labor Code and the new draft law on labor inspection, prepared by the MP Tskitishvili, in cooperation with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and other international organizations, was to be initiated and adopted during the Autumn session.

United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the German International Cooperation Society (GIZ), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) were also involved in the preparation of the bill.

In the past months, Tskitishvili held meetings to discuss the proposed changes with the relevant stakeholders, including HR specialists, business associations and labor unions.

The bill was met with criticism when published. Several media platforms had falsely reported that with the new Labor Code working at two or more jobs would be banned and maternity pay, remunerated by the Government with a single payment of maximum GEL 1000 would be set at 80% of the salary.

According to the local NGO The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), who was involved in the discussions, both reports are untrue and misrepresent the content, scope, and purpose of the regulation.

The draft law does not explicitly prohibit employees to have labor relations with more than one employer, but it establishes a maximum amount of working time which shall not exceed 48 hours per week including overtime work, in accordance with EU Directive 2003/88/EC, in an attempt to harmonize Georgian labor relations with the EU regulations.

The purpose of legislative changes to the Labor Code is to improve labor standards and safeguards, both material and institutional, which will protect people from exploitation and undignified labor.

Dimitri Tskitishvili, more left-leaning MP compared to his centrist colleagues, left the ruling team after the Parliament rejected the long-awaited bill on electoral amendments, which would have changed the electoral system for 2020 parliamentary elections from mixed to proportional, with ‘zero’ threshold.

Tskitishvili, with other colleagues who also decided to leave following the voting, was often referred to as the ruling party’s main points of contact for the West. Other MPs who left the majority included the Vice-Speaker of the Parliament Tamar Chugoshvili, Majoritarian MP Giorgi Mosidze, Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration Tamar Khulordava and Chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee Sofio Katsarava.