Control on Metallurgists from Kutaisi

Ana Cheishvili, Kutaisi,Netgazeti

Officers of the prosecutor’s office periodically enter the Kutaisi Metallurgic Factory “Herkulesi” and interrogate workers who went on strike in September of 2011 and requested improved working conditions. Chairman of the Trade Union of Georgian Metallurgists Tamaz Dolaberidze told the Netgazeti.

“The most questions are: what has changed after the strike? Are the workers content about the working conditions? Do they still continue membership of the Trade Union, etc. They somehow control them all the time,” Dolaberidze said.

“In January, the representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office were interrogating them during five days. They inquired whether they had participated in the strike; and whether they still cooperate with the Trade Union, etc,” Malkhaz Gogiava said; he was sacked from the factory after the September strikes.

“The investigation was going on in the factory. Maybe, the prosecutor’s office entered the factory for the same reason and questioned the workers. Otherwise, it is completely unclear why they should have entered the factory?! The prosecutor’s office never interferes in similar cases,” Khatuna Iosava, head of public relation department at the Ministry of Justice, told the Netgazeti.

Netgazeti tried to enter the Herkulesi factory to check the information and interview workers but one of the directors Roman Lebanidze forwarded us to the owner of the factory Company Eurasian Style to obtain the permission.

“Even pro-governmental TV-Channels “Public Broadcaster,” “Imedi,” Rustavi 2” and any other channels cannot enter our territory unless they agree it in the head office of the founder,” Lebanidze said.

The Netgazeti got in touch with Ira Gelashvili, manager of the Ltd Eurasian Style, to get the permission but could not get the permit.

Netgazeti interviewed one of the workers of the factory, though he did not say his name. He said after the strike in September, the administration recruited all workers back, except those three workers, who were members of the Trade Union and were most active during the strikes. “We were compelled to give receipts that we would never cooperate with the Trade Union and not to involve strangers into factory problems.”

Deputy chair of the Georgian United Trade Union Gocha Aleksandria said that none of 140 people, who participated in the strike, has applied to the Trade Union to cancel their membership in the organization. “So, they still remain members of our organizations. The receipts, which the workers have written, are simple legal nonsense,” Gocha Aleksandria said.

One of the directors of the Herkulesi Roma Lebanidze told Netgazeti that their enterprise does not need assistance of the Trade Union. “We did not need any kind support from the Trade Union because it has turned into politically engaged enterprise. There were no pre-conditions for the last-year events in our factory.”

The workers of the Kutaisi metallurgist factory “Herkulesi” requested improved working conditions first in summer of 2011 and founded Trade Union in the factory; afterwards, several workers were sacked from the factory.

The Herkulesi workers went on strike on September 13 and requested to recruit sacked metallurgists back and to improve working conditions in the enterprise. In the evening of September 15, the police dispersed the assembly of strikers and arrested part of them for several hours. Later, the detainees gave receipts and the police released them. On September 18, the police arrested three strikers Irakli Iobidze, Emilo Gumberidze and Malkhaz Gogiava. They were sentenced to 10-day imprisonment for disobedience to legal requirements of the police officers.

Malkhaz Gogiava, Emeliane Gumberidze and Irakli Iobidze have not been restored to the enterprise yet. “We visited the factory several times and met the director. He said we had breached the rules and it was reason of our dismissal. However, the relevant order was not handed to us yet. We were also told they could restore us to the enterprise if we had quit the membership of the Trade Union,” Emeliane Gumberidze told Netgazeti.

“I have not received official order about my firing. We visited the factory either in November or in December and Roman Lebanidze told us to submit applications to be restored to the factor. We applied to them, but without any results,” Malkhaz Gogiava said.

The representatives of the Trade Union said the orders on their dismissal were not delivered to the metallurgists on purpose. “They want to prevent the workers from appealing to the Court,” Tamaz Dolaberidze said.

In accordance to the Article 49 of the Labor Code of Georgia, a strike shall not become basis to cease the labor contract.

The factory administration claims the working conditions of metallurgists have been improved but it is not result of the strike of Trade Union and workers. “In any enterprise something is done today, and something is done tomorrow. Nobody can be compelled to do/change anything. It was already envisaged in our program and the working conditions were developed permanently. Today, you should ask the former strikers how they feel in the factor… everybody, who wanted to work, has returned to the factory,” Roman Lebanidze said.

“Part of former problems was resolved. They fixed transport for workers, they opened a canteen but closed soon because Georgian personnel could not have dinner there due to high price,” Malkhaz Gogiava said.

After the strike, the factory administration opened a doctor’s office in the enterprise: the problem of safety clothes was also resolved in the factory. However, the number of showers and chimneys is still problem, the workers said.

540 Georgian and Indian workers are employed in the factory by now. The Herkulesi belongs to the Georgian-Indian Company Ltd Eurasian Style.

Netgazeti photo taken during September strike
Malkhaz Gogiava on the left