17 August, 2011The ICEM affiliate in Georgia, the Metallurgical, Mining, and Chemical Industry Workers' Trade Union, is again bringing dignity and job rights to steelworkers in the Central Asian country. On 2 August, after formally submitting grievances over extreme sub-standard work conditions before the managing director of Euroasian Steels LLC in Kutaisi, the company agreed to recognise the union as voice for 400 workers, and begin a process to correct problems.
GEORGIA: Over the past two years, the union has pursued aggressive recruitment drives in Georgia through direct action, and has successfully brought work rights to thousands of miners and metalworkers.
This time, the director of Euroasian Steels told union President Tamaz Dolaberidze he would respect workers' decision to join a trade union, and underscored that it is their right to join a union organisation of their choice. On 6 August, the Metallurgical, Mining, Chemical Union submitted a list of 14 names of workers who would make up the union committee. Dolaberidze said it is his intent to forewarn management and government officials alike that the individuals stand as legitimate shop-floor representatives, and any attempt to dismiss, discipline, or obstruct their duties would violate the rights of all.
The Metallurgical, Mining, and Chemical Industry Workers' Trade Union, with the help of the ICEM and the Georgian Trade Unions Confederation (GTUC), has rapidly established itself as a force for workers' rights in the country. Earlier this year, the union won recognition for 1,500 miners of Geo-Coal and then posted huge salary jumps for them in collective negotiations. The circumstances around that can be found in the ICEM report here.
And in spring 2010, the union along with ICEM and the GTUC, won union rights and a fair deal for 5,800 workers at Zestafoni Ferroalloys and Georgian Manganese mines. (Read the recap on that here.) Both struggles saw workers engage in strikes in order to gain union recognition and wage and benefit gains.
For more details visit the ICEM website at http://www.icem.org/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4606-Georgian-Mine-Metalworkers-Win-Union-Rights-at-Euroasian