The Georgian Trade Union Confederation published a press release this week, stating that 24 citizens who left Georgia to work in Germany for a season are working under “difficult conditions.”
In a statement, the GTUC states that the citizens who are employed do not receive the promised remuneration. Instead of the 9 Euros promised per hour, they are only paid 3 Euros. The GTUC claims that the living conditions of the Georgian citizens in the United States are unbearable.
“The union requested that the German ambassador study the issue and that the Minister of Labor and Health of Georgia Ekaterine Tikiradze take an immediate concern for the situation of Georgian citizens, because the Employment Promotion Agency of Georgia’s Ministry of Labor organized their trip to Germany.
“The Labor Inspectorate of Georgia also needs to be informed about the current situation as it affects citizens of Georgia.” The statement stated that the unions would then provide the information to the German partner trade unions as a response.
The State Employment Promotion Agency has responded to the GTUC’s statement about the difficult conditions for citizens who leave Georgia in order to work seasonal jobs.
The Employment Agency stated that they share the concerns expressed by a group of Georgians who traveled to Germany under the Georgian Labor Force Employment Agreement. The agency stated that it should be resolved separately with the German side.
“We confirm there was dissatisfaction among the representatives of a group due to the violation by the employer of the conditions in the job description. Upon receiving the information, the State Employment Promotion Agency made the first contact with German officials.
The Employment Agency of the Federal Republic of Germany has informed the Georgians that specific measures were taken to improve the living conditions of a certain group. This is the obvious result of the Georgians’ active work.
The employer, based on an agreement between Germany, Georgia, and the terms of the offer, agreed to pay the correct hourly wage to employees from Georgia.
The statement states that if the conditions are not met by the Georgian side, they demand the redistribution to other employers of the members of this group.
Hubert Knirsch (German Ambassador to Georgia) also responded to the statement made by the Georgian Trade Union Confederation and assured them that all conditions stipulated under the agreement had been met.
“After Georgian media spread information about a group of seasonal workers on a strawberry field, I spoke to the German authorities. According to the rules, agencies ensured that the conditions of the contract were met, including providing suitable housing. In Germany, a guaranteed minimum wage of 9.5 euros is provided.
“Problems can happen anywhere. It is important to solve problems quickly. It’s good that this case has been covered in the media. “I hope that the successful implementation will be covered with similar attention,” said German Ambassador.
In April, it became known that 5000 Georgian citizens would be able work legally in the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany starting in May. The decision was taken due to the high level of interest from Georgian citizens. By April 2, over 97 thousand Georgians expressed their desire to live and work in Germany.
By Ketevan Skhirtladze
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