Civil rights group claims Tkibuli miners were fired unlawfully, alleges political persecution

The Tbilisi-based rights group Social Justice Centre (SJC) has stated that the dismissal of around 40 miners in Tkibuli was unlawful and shows signs of persecution for dissenting opinions.

According to SJC, the ‘reorganisation’ undertaken by Saknakhshiri company — ‘first dismissing them, then retraining them, followed by an unclear prospect of reemployment clearly contradict and grossly violate fundamental labour rights standards’.

The group noted that ‘among those dismissed are individuals who were allegedly subjected to pressure due to their political views and differing opinions’.

Following the dismissals, the most outspoken workers alleged that they had been pressured by company representatives or individuals linked to the local government or the ruling Georgian Dream party due to their support for opposition groups in the recent election and their criticism of the government’s anti-EU shift and crackdown on protesters.

‘Against the backdrop of mass anti-government protests and increased repression by the authorities following the parliamentary elections, there is reasonable suspicion that these individuals were deemed undesirable employees by a company closely aligned with the government’, the statement read.