Miners in Chiatura Strike over Wages, Better Working Conditions

About 2,500 miners in the western Georgian town of Chiatura have been on a strike for the past eight days demanding pay rise and better working conditions from their employer – the Georgian Manganese Holding.

Having failed to negotiate with the company, some protesters went on a hunger strike and erected a tent in front of the company headquarters in Chiatura. Strikers have also picketed the roads for trucks carrying manganese ore.

Miners are demanding 50% salary increase, improved insurance package and banning transportation of manganese ore through the town. Protesters have said they are ready to agree to gradual pay rise – 30% now and 20% later, by the end of the year.

According to the Georgian Manganese, average gross monthly salary of company employees is GEL 1,002 (USD 360).

Merab Lominadze, a senior executive of the Georgian Manganese, says the company is ready to increase the salary rate by 25% – 15% immediately and 10% after company reorganization.

Lominadze also maintains that the strike is “illegal,” arguing that miners broke a three-year no-strike agreement signed in 2018. The company representative says they might bring the case to court.

The protesters said the offer is unacceptable, and accused the company of pressuring them.

Miners went on strike on May 16, three days before the mayoral by-elections in Chiatura – where the Georgian Dream-nominated candidate, Givi Modebadze obtained 64.57% of votes.

The Georgian Manganese has a total of 3,214 employees and has been engaged in manganese ore mining since 2007. Since 2017, it has been run by a state-appointed manager.

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