Tbilisi Metro train drivers to go on strike

Tbilisi’s metro train drivers are planning to organize a large-scale strike on 4 June. They have been working in a state of “pre-strike”  since 1 March. Their main demand is an increase in pay.

The Tbilisi Transport Company has appealed to the Tbilisi City Court in this regard. On 21 May the court examined the company’s application and disapproved the right of drivers to strike during working hours for an indefinite period. The court recognizes that ‘the right to strike, being fundamental in terms of human rights, can be used by trade unions to exert pressure on an employer to improve social conditions’, but it also explains that ‘this right is not absolute and in a democratic society it can negatively affect national interests. Security and public safety shall be ensured through the prevention of unrest’.

The court has explained its decision by the fact that the Tbilisi metro is the cheapest and fastest municipal transport system serving about 400 000 passengers weekly, and its stoppage can cause a collapse in the traffic system. The court warns that if the metro stops working, big problems will arise for emergency services such as ambulances and fire brigades, as well as other vital services.

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Drivers’ demands

The metro train drivers have been demanding a salary increase for over six years. The first time the demand was made was when the Georgian Dream political party came to power in Georgia. However, to this day not much has changed – neither in the demands nor in the lives of the drivers.

On 1 March 2018, conflict broke out between Unity-2013, an independent trade union for train drivers of the Tbilisi Metro, and the Tbilisi Transportation Company. Employees of the metro had carried out an action in which they once again demanded improved working conditions and an increase in wages.

There are 250 drivers working for Tbilisi Metro and they are paid per hour. Each driver works 6-8 hours per shift, earning GEL 6.92 per hour (about USD 3), amounting to a monthly wage of GEL 1150-1200 (less than USD 500). The drivers say that this amount does not correspond with the conditions of their daily work and high level of responsibility, and they demand an increase of 45% – from GEL 6.92 (about USD 3) to GEL 10 (slightly more than USD 4) per hour. This will result in an increase amounting to GEL 1600 (slightly over USD 650) per month.

Metro employees also complain of tough working conditions: they spend half of their lives underground in noise and dust, experiencing strong vibrations and a lack of oxygen, and are exposed to a high level of radiation caused by the electrical field. All this negatively affects their health to the extent that 60% of drivers do not live past retirement age.

The drivers also draw attention to inequalities in pay: the head of the Tbilisi Transport Company receives GEL 10 000 (almost USD 4 100).

The position of the Tbilisi Transport Company

About six thousand people work for the Tbilisi Transport Company. The company’s management says that 65 per cent of its income is spent on the payroll, and that increasing the salaries of metro train drivers will necessitate the salary increase of other employees as well, and there is simply no such possibility.

“The company is not considering options for increasing salaries for certain groups of employees (drivers) as this will cause legitimate discontent of other employees of the company. As for increasing the salaries of all employees, serious financial resources are needed, which the company does not have,” the company’s statement reads.

After the drivers announced their readiness to strike, the company’s management had expressed its readiness to introduce a system of benefits taking into account the length of service and merits, and had allocated GEL 1 million (USD 408 thousand) from the budget for this purpose. But it still refuses to fulfill the driver’s demands to increase their hourly wage.

What the Mayor of Tbilisi says

One of the opponents against increasing the hourly wage is Kakha Kaladze, the city Mayor. His main argument is the following: perhaps the salary of the drivers are not so high, but considering the economic situation of the country, the salary for other important and responsible positions also do not exceed GEL 700 (less than USD 300.)

“While I urge everyone to join the efforts to overcome the problems that are troubling the city, all of a sudden a group comes out and demands an increase in salaries. It is impossible today, taking into account the economic situation of Georgia. Furthermore, nothing will be paralyzed and we will do everything possible for the metro not to stop,” Kaladze said.

The Metro drivers’ plans

The Union of Metro Train Drivers categorically disagrees with the court decision. They say that the right to strike is constitutional, and they are certainly going to take advantage of this right and will go on strike on 4 June. According to them, members are already barely making ends meet and many of them are the breadwinners of their families and therefore cannot just sit and wait for the economic growth of the entire country to improve.

The right to strike is enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia. However, the Labor Code regulates situations in which the court has the right to postpone a strike for 30 days. This is possible in cases where the court finds that a strike threatens the life and health of people, environmental safety or third party property, as well as the functioning of vital services.

Union members believe that the management of Tbilisi Transport Company is trying to buy time to have a group of ‘strikebreakers’ (a person who continues to work during a strike – JAMnews). Union representatives say that they have information that the company’s representatives have been actively looking for drivers who retired 15-20 years ago, asking them to return to work.

The Tbilisi Metro which opened in 1966 operates from 6am and closes around midnight. The Tbilisi Metro is the fastest, cheapest and most convenient form of transport. The metro services are used daily by about 290 thousand passengers (the court cites 400 thousand). The fare is 50 tetri (about 20 cents).