Statement of Human Rights Center on Draft Labor Code

Human Rights Center is concerned for recent developments about the draft labor code which went on without active engagement of the civil society and through complete ignorance of the interests of employees. 

As a result of recent unhealthy developments about the draft labor code, the Parliament of Georgia adopted the bill at the second hearing without amending such essential provisions on labor relation like: labor contract, duration of working time, extra time work, extra leave for the employees of hard, harmful and dangerous enterprises, basis and rules of the suspension of labor contracts, massive dismissal of personnel, collective agreement, disagreement and other significant issues.

Human Rights Center has been involved in the development of recommendations with regard to the drafted amendments to the Labor Code together with the Georgian Trade Union Confederation and other representatives of the civil society for the last few months. 

As a result of joint appeals of the nongovernmental organizations and Georgian Trade Union Confederation, recommendations were developed on the drafted amendments to the Labor Code which referred to such fundamental issues like completion of the basis for the suspension of labor contract so that the employer shall not have chance to interpret it otherwise; also it imposed obligation to reimburse extra working hours at increased tariff, guaranteed more protection of the rights of female and disabled workers, regulation of the work of the people employed in night-shift and others. The government accepted part of the offered recommendations in that period. 

However, unfortunately, as a result of recent developments related with the discussion of the draft Labor Code at the Parliament of Georgia, country’s adherence and respect to European labor standards and principles of the International Labor Organization became suspicious. 

Human Rights Center calls upon the Members of the Georgian Parliament to pursue European values and protect legal interests of the employees. At the same time, they should not support backdoor deals received through complete negligence of civil society’s opinion. 

Human Rights Center