Employees of the Sairme Mineral Waters LTD went on strike. Up to 35 people demand a 25% salary increase, decent and safe working conditions, ensuring proper functioning of the factory, and meeting with the founders of the company.
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The strike started on February 13, around nine am. Giorgi Diasamidze, the representative of the trade union, says that this was preceded by 21-day mediation, which ended unsuccessfully.
“The agreement could not be reached. Accordingly, a legal strike has started, which will continue until the labor rights and fair demands of the employees are not met. At the moment, all employees are on strike and the enterprise is at a standstill. The employer is trying to replace the strikers - with relatives and friends, but they are unable to do so. Until now, the enterprise is not working. Our goal is not to damage the factory, which is already in a difficult condition. We hold the employer fully responsible for this issue,” Giorgi Diasamidze told Georgian News.
According to him, the strikers demanded a 30% salary increase, but they agreed to a 25% increase upon to state mediator’s request.
“The employer might say that the factory employees receive 1,200 GEL per month, but this is a lie. For example, at the end of January, these people were paid 750 GEL. There are frequent cases when the enterprise is on hold because it is depreciated. In addition, labor safety measures have been violated - workers were hit by electricity, and there was an incident when a person's arm was broken. There is an unsanitary condition in the enterprise”, Diasamidze notes.
Shako Kobalia, one of the strikers, says that there was a verbal confrontation with the employer during the mediation: “There were also false calls to the police when several employees were taken to the drug center. Of course, it was not confirmed that they were under the influence of drugs.”
CEO of Sairme Mineral Waters LTD is Russian citizen Yanina Mashkova, who, according to the strikers, manages the company from Tbilisi. 92% of the company’s shares are owned by Iakov Gvichia, born in 1998 and holding dual citizenship for Georgia and Russian Federation.
The remaining 8% is also owned by Russian citizens Gia Gvichia and his wife, Khatuna Gvichia. Gia Gvichia is also a supervisory board member of Sairme Mineral Waters. He is a businessperson in St. Petersburg. He is the president of Vyborg-Terminal operating in the Leningrad Region and the owner of 51% of the company's share.
“After the start of mediation, the company is actively involved in the negotiation process. We were and are ready to consider the demands presented by the trade unions. We also offered our proposal, but we did not receive a concrete answer”, said Levan Kasradze, deputy director of Sairme Mineral Waters, to the public broadcaster.
Sairme Mineral Waters produces carbonated mineral water Sairme, lemonade Tbilisuri, non-carbonated spring water Nakaduli, and Sairme streams. According to the company's website that Sairme Mineral Waters is one of the leading, modern, and high-tech water-producing companies in Georgia, whose products are exported to the markets of 17 countries.
