Tbilisi metro workers demand higher wages

Drivers and other employees of the Tbilisi Metro are demanding a twenty percent increase in wages.

If their demands are not met, they intend to file a class action lawsuit. They do not rule out that they will eventually resort to a strike.

Protest

On November 29, employees of the Tbilisi Transport Company (TTC – Tbilisi Transport Company) held a warning protest at the entrance to the Didube metro station.

The founder of the independent trade union Metro 2013, Zaza Barbakadze, told Netgazeti that the union, at the request of the workers, intended to write an official statement on a class action lawsuit today. However, at this stage, they decided to refrain from such a step due to a message from the company’s management.

As Barbakadze said, the leadership offered the protesters to hold a meeting today.

“If their proposal is acceptable, we will not initiate a class action lawsuit and will talk about drawing up a new contract. If not, statements [по внесению колелктивного иска] ready,” the head of the union explained.

Management proposal

TTC is a state-owned company owned by the Tbilisi City Hall. In addition to the metro, the company also oversees other public transport, parking lots and cable cars.

The TTC told Netgazeti that at today’s meeting the unions will be briefed on “the initiative of the government and mayor’s office to raise wages.”

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze told reporters today that from 2023, the salaries of metro workers, as well as other state employees, will increase.

“The Prime Minister has talked a lot about this. As you know, the annual growth of salaries of employees of state structures will be 10%. This, of course, also applies to employees of the municipality,” the mayor said.

“Not an increase, but an indexation”
Metro workers, in turn, say that due to inflation, they do not have enough money for food and other things necessary for life. They believe that they do not demand an increase, but an indexation of salaries.

“The number 20% is not taken from an empty place. The economic team and I calculated how much the cost of living, the consumer basket, has risen,” Zaza Barbakadze explained.

Employee salaries

Vladimir Kharazishvili, an escalator driver, said that he earns 6.03 lari per hour. The locksmith who works with him receives 5.5 lari.

They work for two days, rest the same amount. “One day we work during the day, the other – at night.”

Since, according to the legislation, work in the subway is defined as hard and harmful, they receive an allowance, which amounts to just over one lari per hour. For a month, the allowances reach 70 lari for Kharazishvili, in the case of his colleague – 50 lari.

“On average, the position of a driver makes 700-800 GEL per month.”

At the same time, Kharazishvili says that the company cannot send employees on vacation due to a shortage of personnel. “They promised that they would bring people, but they could not.”