Striking employees of Rustavi Azot reached an agreement with the administration.

The company agreed to increase wages for Rustavi Azot employees, partially fulfilling their demands and locking in the annual pay increase. The strike lasted nine days.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, on January 28, several hundred Rustavi Azot employees went on strike in Rustavi. The employees are demanding a 300 lari wage increase, otherwise they vowed to engage in continuous protests and paralyze the work process. On the second day of the strike, employees of the Rustavi chemical plant called the administration's proposed wage increase humiliating and demanded an apology. Rustavi Azot employees, who have been on strike for five days demanding higher wages and better working conditions, have asked the Georgian government for support. Employees reported that management demanded that they resume work and attempted to intimidate the strikers.

Rustavi Azot JSC is the largest chemical company producing industrial chemicals and mineral fertilizers in the Transcaucasus. The company employs more than 2,000 people, according to the official website of Rustavi Azot.

An agreement has been reached between the company and the striking employees, said Bachana Kapanadze, one of the striking employees of the Rustavi Nitrogen Plant.

The company agreed with the striking employees on a wage increase of 200 lari (about $75), an annual increase of 125 lari (about $46) every February for five years, and an end to the persecution of striking employees. A 25% bonus will be consolidated into a fixed salary for a period of 6 months to 1 year. Compensation will be paid for all days of the strike, Publika reports.

The strike lasted 9 days. They demanded a wage increase of 300 lari ($110). On February 5, the company released a statement stating that Rustavi Azot always cares about working conditions and improving the salaries of its employees and has raised salaries several times over the past five years. It also stated that the strike by some employees is illegal and that "the company is contacting the relevant authorities to implement an appropriate response in accordance with the law against the individuals concerned," the publication writes.

In April 2021, approximately 500 Rustavi Azot employees blocked the entry and exit of vehicles from the company's premises, demanding a 50% wage increase. The trade union supported the protesters' demands at the time.

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Source: https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/420563