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A Woman on Maternity Leave Was Fired without Warning

April 6, 2010
Maka Malaknadze, Adjara

A short time ago, employees of the Urekhi based House for Children Lacking Parental Care were fired. They were on holidays by that time. The labor agreements with the employees were not expired. The head of the House, Gia Veradze does not see anything illegal in the decision.

Liana Shainidze had been on maternity leave since January 20, 2010. She had to return to work in May, but she cannot continue her job at the House because she was fired. Like Shainidze, Eka Berdzenishvili, who was on maternity leave too, was also fired.

“I was told, the House of Children Lacking Parental Care was transformed into a new organization and the employees, who were on maternity leave, were fired. As I have cleared up, the director did not give our list to the new owner,” said Liana Shainidze.

Shainidze was informed about her dismissal two months ago when her colleagues informed her about training scheduled at the office. When she arrived at the House of Children Lacking Parental Care to attend the training, the deputy director told her that she was fired and could not participate in the training.

Since January 1, 2010, Urekhi Children’s House was subordinated to the new agency of the Healthcare Ministry of Georgia. After that, the representatives of the agency checked the qualification of the old employees. Gia Veradze clarified that the reorganization envisaged personal changes too. “Lia Shainidze had her labor agreement expired at the end of December of 2009; and since a new agreement was not signed with her, she was not on the list of the employees. We have not fired her; she was automatically dismissed. Besides that, the personnel were reduced, and the agency signs labor agreements only with the employees with high education; while Shainidze has finished only pedagogical college.”

Representatives of the Young Lawyers Association clarified that the dismissal of the women from the work is illegal because it is forbidden by the law. “If an employee is on the maternity leave, she cannot be fired before the maternity leave finishes – Article 36, Part VI of the Labor Code of Georgia. If the basis of granting the maternity leave to the employee expires, she can return to her work and continue her activities there based on the new labor agreement.”

34-year-old Liana Shainidze has two children. Her family belongs to socially disabled category and is living in a rented house.

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