Workshop on union organizing

IndustriALL Global Union held a workshop on union organizing for the leaders and activists of the Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia (TUMMCIWG) on 11-13 January 2014 in Bakuriani, Georgia.

The majority of participants were unionists from the Mining and Processing Plant of Georgian Manganese. The union activists of RMG Copper, Azot and Rustavi Steel also participated, as well as the representatives of the regional and central offices of the Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia. Gocha Alexandria, ‎Vice-President of the Georgian Trade Union Confederation, addressed the audience on 13 January.

Eduard Vokhmin, independent trade union trainer, conducted the workshop. Using Georgian Manganese enterprise as an example, the workshop participants modeled various situations. Different groups of workers (active unionists, loyal and patient, hoping for changes without their participation) were defined and different approaches to the two latter groups were determined in order to involve them into union work. The participants discussed the steps for their union to take in order to engage certain target groups of workers into the union and its real actions.

During the discussion the participants agreed that often workers incorrectly define the priority problems, therefore it is important to find the most important problems at the moment, with which the workers cannot put up and which should become the basis for their requirements. 

The necessity to work out an action strategy was discussed in the final part of the workshop. It is necessary not only to protest, but to find the responsible persons in the company and to effectively put a pressure on them using various tactics.

The importance of organizing and being part of IndustriALL Global Union was mentioned several times during the workshop. The participants are looking forward to continue more advanced union training.

According to Vadim Borisov, regional representative of IndustriALL Global Union, this workshop became the first step in implementing an organizing project in Georgia. For several years this country experienced strong pressure on trade unions combined with a restriction of workers' rights. The 2006 Labour Code basically eliminated the chances of the workers to protect their rights through the unions. However some positive amendments were made to the Georgian labour law in 2013. It provides the trade unions with new opportunities, therefore Georgia is considered by IndustriALL Global Union as a priority country for the union organizing efforts.