Entrance of one of manganese mines in Chiatura. Archive (Luka Pertaia/ OC Media)
A locksmith died in a manganese factory in the industrial town of Chiatura, in western Georgia, on 11 April, after falling down from a ladder. An investigation has been opened for violations of health and safety rules.
Rezo Talakhadze had worked in the manganese mines and factories for 40 years, according to Georgian Manganese, the owners of the factory. Georgian Manganese have said that they will cover the man’s funeral expenses.
Georgian Manganese, which is a subsidiary of a larger, Florida-based Georgia-American Alloys, is registered in Luxembourg. Georgia-American Alloys also owns a ferroalloy plant in Zestaponi, — Georgia’s largest silicomanganese processing plant — and Vartsikhe, a nearby hydroelectric facility that powers factories in Zestaponi and Chiatura.
The company has faced repeated accusations of employing exploitative labour practices, which have allegedly caused injuries and deaths of the workers. The company has denied any violations of the law.
Two men were injured in an explosion in one of the mines in January 2017. According to Georgia’s Public Broadcaster, one of the workers said that safety rules were properly ensured and it was only an accident.
The case comes at a time when Georgia’s labour laws are facing criticism for not addressing labour exploitation. Research published in January 2017 by rights group the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center claims that existing legislation on labour inspections in Georgia does not address the challenges the country faces and doesn’t comply with international labour standards.
There are no official statistics on the number of fatal workplace accidents so far in 2017, but data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs shows that 58 people died and 85 were seriously injured as a result of occupational accidents in 2016. Since the ministry started producing statistics in 2011, 270 workers have died and 776 were injured.
The Zestaponi Ferroalloy Plant and all manganese mines in Chiatura, both owned by the mining company Georgian Manganese, have temporarily stopped work until 1 March 2025.
On Thursday, Georgian Manganese published a statement saying that until 1 March, a temporary management regime would operate at the Zestaponi Ferroalloy Plant.
The plant is Georgia’s largest silicomanganese processing plant.
Georgian Manganese is the largest mining and ferroalloy manufacturing company in Georgia, where
Residents of Shukruti protesting against Georgian Manganese have ended their protest in Tbilisi after two weeks of unsuccessful negotiations.
The protesters had demanded an assessment by the National Forensics Bureau of their property, as well as to receive adequate compensation from the company for the destruction of their homes during mining operations under the village in Chiatura, western Georgia.
One of the protesters, Tamuna Kupatadze, told OC Media that they could not agree with th
The residents of Shukruti, a village in Georgia’s western Chiatura region, have been protesting mining under their village carried out by Georgian Manganese for years. In September, they relocated their protest to Georgia’s Parliament in Tbilisi, demanding that the government intervene in their dispute with the mining company.
Those protesting around the clock in front of parliament are constantly exposed to the elements as the weather grows colder, with at least six of th
After over a month on hunger strike, mostly on the steps of Georgia’s parliament, residents of the village of Shukruti are facing declining health and plummeting temperatures, with little hope of saving their village from destruction.
‘I don’t think I’ll witness my child growing up. I don’t have much energy left in me, maybe a few days? I don’t know’, says Giorgi Bitsadze, 33.
Bitsadze has always been the funny one, cracking endless jokes to friends, family, and anyone he happens to meet.
A locksmith died in a manganese factory in the industrial town of Chiatura, in western Georgia, on 11 April, after falling down from a ladder. An investigation has been opened for violations of health and safety rules.
