Manifesto published by Georgian Trade Union
By Anastasia Sokhadze
Tuesday, May 5
Georgian Trade Unions has stated that there had not yet been any local production encouragement.
Developments around the world, including in Georgia, as a result of the spread of COVID-19, have shown the special need and necessity for the regulation and realization of socio-economic and labor rights-oriented human rights protection in the country.
About 100 thousand citizens employed in the trade sector remained unemployed. Most of the employees in the transport sector were left without income. Although municipal transport drivers have retained their salaries, drivers of minibuses and intercity transport, whose income depended on daily output, have been left without any pay. The situation is similar with taxi drivers, as they depend on the platform (app). Their income is significantly reduced or stopped.
Most of those employed in the informal sector lost their jobs, including nurses employed in the care economy, tutors, janitors, caregivers, the total number of which is up to 40 thousand.
It is noteworthy that the high responsibility of those employed in heavy metallurgy and food trade, people working in emergency mode have to work in low-wage conditions to save themselves and their families from labor.
“The crisis situation has clearly shown how important it is to establish the principles of solidarity and universal justice in the society, which the Georgian Trade Unions demanded. It is now clear that people need to earn a living in order to survive, which is vital today. If the authorities of the country had decided in time to take such an initiative of the trade unions as imposing unemployment benefits, it would not be necessary to mobilize both financial and human resources in such a crisis today. It is obvious that the country is in danger of a severe economic crisis,” reads the manifesto.
In addition, trade unions say it is important for Georgia to take all measures to make employment and job creation a top priority for the country, especially in such grave conditions as is the current crisis.
