Miners in Tkibuli have accused the management of the Saknakhshiri company of dismissing them on political grounds.
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“Before the elections, I was a representative of the Coalition for Change. They sent me letters and threatened me - saying that if I didn’t take care of myself, my brother and sister-in-law, who are also employed by this company, would be in danger. They carried out the threat against all three of us. This is political repression against my family,” said Giorgi Abuladze. He added that he was informed of his dismissal yesterday evening.
Another miner, Khvicha Gabunia, stated that the reason for his dismissal was posts supporting pro-European rallies that he published on Facebook.
“Of course, this happened because of my political views. I had written many posts saying that our miners’ path leads towards Europe, towards civilization,” Gabunia noted.
According to him, on the orders of the company’s director, Mikhail Sotsky, a local manager, Giorgi Babukhadiya, is blackmailing and firing miners.
“He called me into his office several times and told me to stop writing such things, or he would personally investigate me. He repeated this to me and several other miners,” said Khvicha Gabunia. He also mentioned that Saknakhshiri has currently fired about a hundred employees.
Saknakhshiri has declined to comment on this issue. According to the Georgian Public Broadcaster’s First Channel, company representatives privately denied dismissing employees on political grounds. They explained that they are currently negotiating with 30 employees for retraining, and if they refuse, they will have to leave their jobs.
Saknakhshiri, led by Russian citizen Mikhail Sotsky, is the only coal mining company in Georgia. According to its financial report, in 2023, Saknakhshiri sold 146 136 tons of coal, generating a revenue of 25 327 742 GEL.
