Georgia: teacher union urges the government to engage in social dialogue
The strike committee of the Educators and Scientists Free Trade Union of Georgia (ESFTUG) has decided to postpone the teacher strike due to start on 2 March nationwide.
ESFTUG is one of EI's member organisations in Georgia and represents 103 000 teachers. At its meeting on 25-26 Feb, the strike committee decided to postpone the strike until 1 May. With this decision, the committee wants to give the Ministry of Education a last opportunity to negotiate and sign a collective agreement with the ESFTUG.
“If the dialogue is not established by 1 May, teachers will go on a hunger strike. If that does not get the result our members want, a general teacher strike will begin on 11 May,” announced the ESFTUG President, Manana Ghurchumalidze, also vice-President of the EI pan-European Structure.
The 19-person ESFTUG strike committee also expressed their gratitude towards EI and its member organisations, as well as towards all diplomatic missions and international organisations which have been supportive of the union's efforts to see labour and trade union rights fully respected by the Georgian authorities.
