Human Rights Watch responds to Labor Code reform initiated in Georgian Parliament:

“Georgia’s parliament is scheduled to begin discussing a package of amendments to the country’s labor legislation this week, Human Rights Watch said today. If adopted, the amendments would offer much greater protection to workers and go a long way toward bringing Georgia’s labor legislation in line with international standards and good practices.

The draft amendments envisage strengthening the labor inspectorate and regulating work hours, overtime, night work, mandatory weekly rest, and breaks during shifts.

“Georgia’s lack of labor regulations has led to poor labor practices that put thousands of workers at heightened risks,” said Giorgi Gogia, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Parliament should do the right thing and adopt reforms urgently needed to stop abusive practices and improve workers’ health and safety”.

Parliament’s Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee will start reviewing the legislative package on June 18. The bill is slated for the plenary debate next week.

Years of deregulation have left Georgian workers without adequate protections, Human Rights Watch said. In an effort to attract foreign investment, in 2006, Georgia abolished its Labor Inspectorate and dramatically reduced worker protections in the labor code by removing provisions on weekly rest, limits on overtime hours, and breaks during shifts. The 2006 labor code also made it possible to dismiss workers without notice and for any reason.

Workers in Georgia paid a high price for deregulation and loose labor protections and oversight, Human Rights Watch said. One independent study found that deaths at work had soared by 74 percent since 2006, most of them in mining and construction.