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Meidan – “Slave Market” for the unemployed

February 26, 2016
 
Gulnur Kazimova 

Sometimes ethnic Meidan, center of the Old Tbilisi, where ethnic Azerbaijani population, is called “devil market.” Today, locals often call it “slave market.” The famous square of the Old Tbilisi, which is one of the main destinations for tourists, is a place where unemployed men of Tbilisi gather. They do not refrain from any job even for a meager salary.

“It is not six and five; don’t you see it is four. Play correctly,” Zahir Abbasov does not allow the rival to cheat him in backgammon game. He has already managed to play several rounds of the game since morning. 7 men are standing around the table. They are waiting for their turn at the backgammon before somebody offers them any job.

According to the data from the Georgian Statistic Department, 12,4% of the Georgian population, that makes 246 000 persons, were unemployed in Georgia in 2014. According to the information provided by the Tbilisi Employment Agency, over 30 000 persons are unemployed only in Tbilisi.

“We gather here every day. If friends need my help with regard to electricity, they call me and I go. I come here at 9 am every morning. Electricity mending is difficult work. I usually get 15-20 GEL for the service,” 34-years old Murad Haziev said. He has technical education and said if he has at least two similar orders per month, it is good. “If Georgians need electrician, they call Georgian masters. What shall we do? There are many Azerbaijani companies in Georgia and I have applied to some of them for job but they did not hire me. Everybody requests university diploma or they say there are no vacancies in the company. Life is very difficult. A family needs minimum 800-1000 GEL to live on per month. We try to find permanent job but in vain.”

Mahamadli Naghiev has purchased a car by credit and now earns money by working as a taxi-driver. However he still looks for a stable job. “I cannot speak Georgian fluently but even if I knew the language well, it does not mean I will easily get one. Not only Azerbaijani people have unemployment problem – there are thousands of unemployed Georgians. Find a job in this country is difficult for everybody. There are no factories and where will people work?”

According to the 2014 data of the International Labor Organization , 38% of the Georgian population lives in poverty, 10-12% belong to middle class.

Vagif Novruzov, 51, said he has lost hope to get a job for a long time already and mostly he goes to the Meidan to spend time with friends. “So many people gather here every day but there is no job. Sometimes we get daily work. I was driver for many years; I worked as a private driver too but it is already seven years since people refuse to hire me.”To

Head of the public movement Dignity Alibala Asgarov said employment of ethnic Azerbaijani people in Georgia is very difficult. “Ethnic Azerbaijani people hardly get job here. First of all because majority of us has not high education and does not know Georgian either. To resolve this problem, first of all we should think of better education. Besides that, there is not stable economic state in Georgia now: new working places are not created and people regardless their ethnicity hardly get employed here.”

Ethnic Azerbaijani people gathered in Meidan entertain themselves with backgammon and drink dark tea. They so much enjoy the game and conversation that often forget problem. However, with approaching evenings they have to return back to their problems.

The article was prepared in the frame of the project implemented by Human Rights House Tbilisi with financial support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Georgia. HRHT bears sole responsibility for the content of the article. The article does not necessarily reflect the views of the donor.   

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