10 June, 2011In a joint letter to the European Commission, ITUC and ETUC call for a European Union investigation of anti-union laws in Georgia. The investigation should be conducted under the EU's system of trade preferences granted to Georgia.
EU/GEORGIA: The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) sent a joint letter to the member of the European Commission Karel De Gucht, stating that Georgian labour legislation does not meet the requirements of the EU's General System of Preferences (GSP+) allowing Georgia some tariff benefits, therefore, an investigation should be conducted.
In their letter ITUC and ETUC describe concrete examples of labour discrimination practices existing in Georgia in violation of core ILO Conventions. In particular they refer to legal limitations to form a union, obstacles to perform collective bargaining, lack of protection against union and gender discrimination, interferences in union autonomy, restrictions on the ability to strike and widespread child labour.
Despite repeated calls from the International Labour Organisation to amend labour laws, the Georgian government has so far refused to comply.
"The European Union needs to investigate Georgia's continued violations of fundamental workers' rights, and if the Georgian authorities do not bring their laws into line with ILO standards, then the EU should withdraw the trade preference arrangements which Georgia enjoys at present," said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.
Bernadette Segol, General Secretary of the ETUC said "Georgia's employment laws fall way below the standards required to get trade advantages from the EU. These laws need to be amended, or the trade advantages should be withdrawn."
To read the full text of the letter follow the link "The letter to Mr Karel De Gucht - investigation into violations of Core Labour Standards in Georgia.