The Swedish Embassy in Georgia has praised the online gaming company Evolution Georgia against the backdrop of an ongoing strike at the company in demand of better working conditions.
On Thursday, the embassy began a Facebook series highlighting Swedish companies operating in Georgia. The first company they showcased was Evolution Georgia.
‘Evolution prioritises a healthy and supportive workplace, fostering professional growth, and personal well-being. Employees have free access to an on-site gym and yoga classes, ensuring a holistic approach to their work environment’, the post read.
Evolution Georgia has come under fire several times over the years for subpar working conditions. Most recently, on 12 July, a series of scandals related to the discriminatory and sexist attitudes of the management and harsh working conditions led some employees to go on strike.
The strike has since taken a variety of forms, including a sit-in and a human chain around the company’s building. In addition, on 13 August, four employees began a hunger strike, while another later sewed his mouth shut. According to local media, these employees later ended their hunger strike due to health concerns.
According to local media, the striking employees have claimed that more than 4,000 employees have joined the protest. Evolution Georgia, however, lists the number as up to 700.
In their post on Thursday, Sweden’s Embassy stated that ‘the company [Evolution Georgia] is actively promoting a balanced and inclusive work environment, championing equal opportunities for all’.
Several months ago, screenshots of international communications between members of the company’s management were released, which included sexist, racist, and discriminatory remarks against employees.
In Thursday’s statement, the embassy also pointed out that ‘with the substantive number of employees in the country, Evolution considers itself an educator of the Georgian workforce with many employees starting their careers at the company’.
Evolution Georgia claims to have up to 8,000 employees in the country.
On 1 July, Mautskebeli, a left-wing online magazine, published footage purported to have been shot in a small restroom used as a break room by janitors at Evolution Gaming, a subsidiary of Evolution Georgia. The person filming the video said that the janitors are only given one bean bag to sit on, facing a toilet, on which they have their lunch.
The Embassy stated that ‘recently’, Swedish Ambassador Anna Lyberg visited Evolution Georgia’s Tbilisi studio where she said that she was ‘impressed by the vibrant and modern work environment, the comprehensive career programs, and the company’s dedication to gender equality. This commitment reflects the core values of Swedish business culture’.
Sweden’s Embassy finished writing about Evolution Georgia by thanking them, ‘for sharing your ideas on how to make an impact both in the industry and the community!’
The striking employees of Evolution Georgia and the trade union Labor have repeatedly spoken about the company’s use of forceful methods against them.
On Friday, Labor posted a video showing striking employees being forcibly thrown out of the Evolution Georgia building.
According to Labor, ‘groups [of thugs] hired by Casino Evolution physically assaulted women, and several strike participants were injured’.
The embassy’s Facebook post was met with great criticism in the comments section underneath it. Most Facebook users expressed their disturbance regarding the post, and added photos and videos that were previously shared on social media showing the strikers.
‘I can’t believe I’m reading this… The Swedish state is using the cheapest greenwashing tricks to affect public opinion in a “developing country”. Did someone from the communication office have a little too much to drink?’ wrote Facebook user Eka Tsotsoria.
‘What an absolute shame and disgrace, an unbelievable offence and disservice to the Swedish people and the values they stand for and advocate in the world!’ commented another Facebook user, Tornike Bakakuri.
Baia Pataraia, the head of the Georgian women’s rights organisation Sapari, wrote in the comments that ‘we do appreciate what Sweden does for [Georgia], but this statement is so out of context in the light of ongoing hunger strike… really unexpected and disappointing’.
Following the post’s publication, the Swiss-based UNI Global Union, which, according to them, represents more than 20 million service workers around the world, stated that they are ‘shocked and disappointed to see the Swedish Embassy endorsing Evolution Georgia, when workers have been on a prolonged hunger strike in protest against poverty wages, unsafe working conditions and harassment’.
‘The company is also subject to a OECD complaint, filed with the Swedish Foreign Ministry’, the UNI Global Union statement read.
Following the backlash, the Embassy of Sweden published another post on Friday stating that it was ‘aware of the ongoing debate regarding Evolution Georgia and understand that the post on Facebook has raised questions’.
‘We have carefully reviewed the comments received’, they wrote. ‘There should be no doubt that we support the right to good working conditions for all workers’.
‘We expect all Swedish companies operating in Georgia to comply with the applicable laws and regulations and that any arising matters are handled in line with best practices’, the embassy said, before announcing that the series on Swedish companies in Georgia would continue.
