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New Labor Code Threatens Georgia with Demographic Problems

November 28, 2005

New Labor Code Threatens Georgia with Demographic Problems

The Deputy Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia Vakhtang Megrelishvili, dedicated another human rights violating law proposal to the second anniversary of the “Rose Revolution”. The new Labor Code, which goes against the Georgian Constitution and International Law, received fierce criticism from the opposition and NGOs.

On November the 18th, the Parliamentary Committee on Public Health and Social Affairs reviewed a law proposal prepared by the Georgian government and put forward by Vakhtang Megrelishvili, the Deputy Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs.     

The proposal envisions a working week of 48 hours and fifteen days of paid leave a year. When an employee is summoned for service in the army, the contract of employment is rescinded automatically. In the cases of illness or pregnancy, an employer would have the right to end the contract without notice.  

Giga Giorgadze, lawyer of the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre, calls the proposal “fascist-like”. The new labor code was also the main topic of the press conference, held in the centre today.

“The above-mentioned law proposal violates the Georgian Constitution and Labor Rights, as well as international law. Ratification of this proposal will result in Georgia facing serious demographic problems. The attitude of young Georgian women towards maternity will totally change when they know that in case of pregnancy they might loose their jobs. This directly goes against the interests of a small country,” – says Giga Giorgadze.

The mentioned proposal received fierce criticism from one of the leaders of the ‘Right Opposition’ party David Saganelidze. “The project reflects absolutely none of the promises made to the citizens of Georgia during the ‘Rose Revolution’” – he stated – “This proposal legalizes a relation of slavery in the sphere of employment.” In his words, “such law project does not even deserve to be discussed in the Georgian Parliament.”

While European Countries fight for the qualified equality of employees, the reduction of working hours and the increase of the quantity of paid leave days, the Georgian government tries to legitimize a discriminative attitude towards employees. Moreover, the new Labor Code affronts international law standards and violates women’s rights. Ironically, all of this happens at the same time with Georgian attempts to establish closer ties with the EU.

The mentioned proposal is the second project by Vakhtang Megrelishvili which violates human rights (the first one concerned the pension law where he proposed to leave out work experience in the calculation of benefits).

The Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre requests the President, Parliament and the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia not to support the new proposal. The centre also thinks that Megrelishvili is not on the right place on the post of Deputy Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs and finds that he should take responsibility for his acts.

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