Police Disrupts Strike of Hercules Factory Workers and Arrests Protestors

Aleksi Bezhanishvili

At 22:00 pm on September 15th, police disrupted a protest action of Georgian-Indian factory Hercules. According to United Georgian Trade Unions, the police detained approximately 35 citizens during the protest disruption. There are four people among the detainees.

Four metallurgists had been on hunger strike for several days with the request to improve labor conditions and restore 17 dismissed workers to their jobs. Approximately hundred workers have announced strike since September 13th. Hercules belongs to Ltd Eurasian Steel and employs approximately 150 citizens of India along with the Georgian citizens.

According to Trade Unions, after the disruption of protest action, the metallurgists were pressured not to express protest anymore. As the representative of Trade Unions Tamaz Dolaberidze stated to interpressnews, the action participants were made to sign in the police that they would not express protest and would go back to their work places.

According to him, the detainees were released at 03:00 am from the main agency of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kutaisi. He himself witnessed the disruption of the action and detention of tens of people: “It was a peaceful action. At approximately 21:30 pm, about 50 cars and 200 policemen came. They started tearing off the posters from the cars of the people on hunger strike stating that they needed to move cars to the penalty lot. Also, they raided protestors and detained their leaders. 12 people were detained in sum. Later, it turned out that approximately 30 individuals who were going home from the action were also detained. The psychological pressure has been exercised against the detainees,” – stated Dolaberidze.

GYLA (Georgian Young Lawyers Association) got involved in the case right at the detention of action participants. The head of Kutaisi Office of GYLA Tamar Pachulia stated to interpressnews that the lawyers were desperately trying to find the location of the detainees. They were not registered in the police departments or detention cells. Police would not disclose information about their location.

According to Pachulia, the witnesses confirm the fact that the action participants were really detained by the policemen. They were put in cars and taken to uncertain direction. At midnight, at about 02.00 am, all detainees were released.

Kutaisi Vice-Mayor Irakli Jikia made a comment regarding ongoing processes in the factory Hercules.

As Irakli Jikia stated to interpressnews, he confirms that the leadership of the factory fired several employees due to disciplinary violations: “The state will maximally assist any investor since the main priority is creating new workplaces and employing local people. I confirm that by the decision of leadership of the factory, several workers were dismissed by full compliance with the Georgian legislation.”

According to him, the employees continue working in two different shifts with four stoves and 8 melting aggregates. Based on new technologies high standard armature is being prepared. The production of the factory is being successfully transferred to European market.

According to Jikia, in the nearest future the production will be expanded which will necessitate employment of additional workers.

As Jikia states there are 500 people employed in the factory by now, including 350 local staff who work full-time.

Opposition made comment regarding the action disruption. According to the leader of Free Democrats, Irakli Alasania, the government instead of fulfilling its obligation and creating work places, is depriving people right of labor.

According to him, Free Democrats are not against investments and investors, but they think that interests of their citizens should not be sacrificed for the investments. They should have normal work conditions and their dignity should not be tarnished at every moment.

“Saakashvili regime is trying to send serious message to everyone that they would not allow any kind of protest,” – stated Irakli Alasania.

Photo:ipn.ge