Teacher Salaries Squandered on Parties and Feasts for “Big-Wigs”

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

Thirty-five teachers of Bakurtsikhe Agricultural-Industrial College have been unsuccessfully demanding their salary arrears dating back to August, September, October, November and December of 2006. Reportedly, the teachers could not get their salaries based on the resolution of Gurjaani Municipality Board issued on May 24, 2006. The municipality board reduced the funds for the college and the expenses for the institution by 33 600 GEL. The previous budget provided for 49,100 GEL in the budget. However, the same board increased the expenses allocated for serving guests to the district. That money was actually wasted on parties held in Gurjaani restaurants that arranged by Akaki Sikharulidze, former Gurjaani district governor. He is now the head of one of the departments within the Ministry of Agriculture.

Officials from local and regional authorities have promised the teachers to pay their arrears on many occasions, especially during the recent pre-election campaign period. However, the court discussion between the teachers and municipality board still continues and they have not been paid.

“Before appealing to the court we applied the college administration several times and requested to resolve the problem. They replied that Gurjaani municipality board had reduced the college budget from 49 100 GEL to 33 600 GEL based on May 24 2006 resolution. Thus, the college administration could not pay our arrears. According to the administration, they had petitioned to the Gurjaani municipality board in addressing problem, though it was still not resolved. Our labor contracts were neither suspended nor cancelled. We started our activities when 2007 school year started. In the event that we would have refused to work because of unpaid salaries, the educational process would have been seriously interpreted.

Moreover, Gurjaani Municipality Board had not sent any notice stating that we had no right to continue working,” said teachers Avtandil Chakhvashvili, Rusudan Zardiashvili, Nanuli Skhirtladze and others.

Gurjaani district court did not satisfy the suit of the teachers where they requested an order demanding the Gurjaani municipality board to have to pay their salary arrears.

Maia Utiashvili, representative of the municipality, stated at the trial that suitors were not covered in labor contracts with Gurjaani municipality board and as a result they had no right to request any salaries from them.

“Petitioners were labor that had been contracted with Bakurtsikhe College, which is their actual employer. So, these people should request salary from the college at their working place and not from the municipality board. They do not have right to request the salaries and consequently the court shall not satisfy their suit,” stated the verdict of Gurjaani district court that was later cancelled by Tbilisi Appeal Court and reminded to the district court for reconsideration.

Lia Khuroshvili, lawyer for the Human Rights Center and attorney for the teachers, stated that according to the Article 37, Paragraph IV of the Georgian Law on Public Agencies state that reduction of budget funds shall not impact salaries and other guarantees that are envisaged under the law. “Consequently, the Gurjaani municipality board is obliged to pay the salary arrears of the teachers,” concluded the lawyer.