Key Government of Georgia decrees implementing labour legislation, setting social benefit levels, regulating labour inspection, and establishing social dialogue mechanisms. All available on Matsne.gov.ge.
In Georgia, Parliament passes framework legislation and the Government of Georgia (Cabinet of Ministers) issues implementing decrees (დადგენილება — dadgenileba) that set specific rates, procedures, and institutional arrangements. For labour and social policy, the most important decree-making ministries are the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development (labour, employment, inspection), the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons, Labour, Health and Social Affairs (social protection, disability, health), and the Prime Minister's Office (migration, tripartite bodies). All decrees are published on the Legislative Herald (Matsne.gov.ge) and enter force on publication unless a later date is specified.
| Decree No. | Date | Subject | Current rate / provision |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 36/1 | 1999 | Statutory minimum wage | GEL 20/month — nominal; no employer pays this; ILO has repeatedly called for reform |
| No. 417 | 30 Dec 2023 | State pension (basic pillar) | GEL 300/month from Jan 2024; applies to all persons aged 65+ (women 60+ until 2030) |
| No. 248 | 15 May 2024 | Targeted Social Assistance (TSA) rates | GEL 90 (1 person) / GEL 110 (2 persons) / +GEL 35 per additional person |
| No. 189 | 22 Apr 2024 | Child benefit supplement | GEL 50/month per child under 16 (TSA households); GEL 100 for children with disabilities |
| No. 605 | 7 Oct 2020 | Unemployment benefit | GEL 200/month flat rate; maximum 6 months; formally employed workers only |
| No. 101 | 1 Mar 2023 | Disability benefit rates | Category I: GEL 295/month; Category II: GEL 245/month; Category III: GEL 195/month |
All benefit rates above are from 2024 decrees. TSA and disability rates are reviewed annually. The GEL 20 minimum wage decree has not been updated since 1999.
| Decree No. | Date | Subject | Key provision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Govt. Decree No. 36 | 27 Jan 2015 | Establishment of Labour Inspection Department | Created LEPL Labour Inspection Department under Social Service Agency; later transferred to Ministry of Economy |
| Govt. Decree No. 441 | 12 Aug 2020 | Inspectorate powers — unannounced visits | Authorised unannounced workplace inspections in priority sectors (construction, mining, manufacturing) |
| Govt. Decree No. 181 | 14 Apr 2023 | Reasonable accommodation — disability | Implementing regulations for employer duty to provide reasonable accommodation under Disability Rights Law |
| Govt. Decree No. 544 | 28 Sep 2023 | Electronic OSH reporting | Mandatory electronic reporting of workplace incidents via Labour Inspectorate portal; 24h deadline for serious incidents |
| Govt. Decree No. 88 | 20 Feb 2024 | Inspector training and certification | Mandatory 40-hour annual training for labour inspectors; specialisation tracks for OSH and child labour |
| Decree No. | Date | Subject | Key provision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Govt. Decree No. 117 | Mar 2019 | Pension Agency establishment | Created Pension Agency (LEPL) to manage funded pension; set investment mandate and governance rules |
| Govt. Decree No. 605 | 7 Oct 2020 | Skills Agency and employment services | Created Skills Agency (LEPL); unified employment service network; vocational training voucher system |
| PM Decree No. 14 | 18 Jan 2021 | State Commission on Migration | Reconstituted interagency migration coordination; mandated annual migration strategy update |
| Govt. Decree No. 298 | 10 Jun 2022 | Work permit priority sectors | Streamlined work permit process for ICT, healthcare, and engineering; 15-day processing target |
| Govt. Decree No. 412 | 12 Aug 2023 | Apprenticeship framework | Implementing regulations for apprenticeship contracts under Employment Assistance Law; employer incentive (50% wage subsidy for first 6 months) |
| Govt. Decree No. 95 | 26 Feb 2024 | National Employment Strategy 2024–2030 | Sets targets: 68% employment rate by 2030 (from 63.5%); informal employment below 30%; youth NEET rate below 15% |
| Decree No. | Date | Subject | Key provision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Govt. Decree No. 1871 | 18 Sep 2013 | Tripartite Social Partnership Commission | Established national tripartite body; composition: 9 government + 9 employer + 9 worker representatives; quarterly meetings |
| Govt. Decree No. 534 | 22 Oct 2019 | Tripartite Commission reform | Expanded mandate to include social protection and EU harmonisation agenda; added ILO Tbilisi as observer |
| Govt. Decree No. 73 | 11 Feb 2021 | Sector-level tripartite bodies | Framework for sector social dialogue committees; construction, mining, and healthcare sectors established first committees |
See Tripartite Commission → for full analysis of Georgia's social dialogue structure.
The Government has committed under the DWCP 2024–2028 and EU candidacy obligations to establish a functional minimum wage by 2026. Draft legislation circulated in late 2024 proposes GEL 700–900/month, indexed annually to CPI. A Government Decree implementing the new rate is expected in 2025. See Living Wage Tool →
Under EU Equal Pay Directive alignment, the government is expected to issue a decree requiring employers with 50+ employees to report gender pay gaps annually from 2026. This would be the first wage transparency mechanism in Georgia's history and could significantly advance gender pay equity. See Gender Pay Gap →
Following the 2023 electronic reporting decree, sector-specific OSH minimum standards for construction and mining are expected in 2025 — implementing detailed technical requirements for the highest-risk sectors. Construction accounts for approximately 35% of recorded occupational fatalities.
A Government Decree establishing a pilot for voluntary social insurance for self-employed and informal workers — covering pension contributions and limited unemployment support — was committed to under the National Employment Strategy 2024–2030. Pilot design is under development with World Bank support.
Beyond the major Labour Code and sector laws, Georgian labour policy is shaped by a stream of government resolutions (dadgenilebebi), orders (brdzanebebi), and decrees (gankargulebani) issued by the Cabinet, MLHSA, and other ministries. These secondary normative acts set: minimum wage (technically set by Cabinet Resolution); OSH standards for specific industries; ESDC programme parameters; TSA eligibility thresholds; and pension contribution rules.
This page compiles the key labour-related secondary legislation, providing summaries, dates, and Matsne links. It complements the major laws section by covering the regulatory detail that determines how laws operate in practice.
Secondary legislation is where abstract legal commitments become operational reality. The OSH sector regulations demonstrate that Georgia can produce technically sound, ILO-aligned secondary legislation when political will exists. The Cabinet Resolution N41 (1999) on minimum wage demonstrates what happens when political will is absent for 25 years. GILS maintains this reference guide to make secondary labour legislation accessible and to enable civil society monitoring of regulatory change.
The most urgent secondary legislation action: amend Cabinet Resolution N41 (1999) to set minimum wage at GEL 500 from January 2025. Cabinet can do this by Resolution — no Parliament vote required under existing Labour Code authority. One page. One Cabinet meeting. Overdue by 25 years.
Labour Code Art.4 (authorises Cabinet to set minimum wage) · ILO C131 · Cabinet Resolution procedureMLHSA guidance notes — which determine how inspectors apply OSH regulations and how LIS processes complaints — are not consistently published. Establish: mandatory publication of all MLHSA guidance notes on mlhsa.gov.ge within 30 days of issue; 5-year searchable archive; Georgian and English versions for key guidance notes.
Administrative Procedures Code · Georgia open government commitments · ILO transparency standardsOSH regulations have been issued for major formal sector industries but agriculture — where 33% of workers are employed — has only general OSH requirements, not sector-specific regulations. Develop and issue OSH Regulation for Agricultural Activities: mandatory for commercial farms; guidance for subsistence farmers. ILO C184 (Agriculture Safety) technical assistance available.
ILO C184 · MLHSA OSH Department · EU ENPARD agriculture programme GeorgiaEstablish GILS Secondary Legislation Tracker: monitors Matsne.gov.ge for all new resolutions and orders tagged to MLHSA, LIS, ESDC, and SSA. Notifies subscribers of new secondary legislation within 24 hours. Monthly digest summarising all new secondary labour legislation. Automated monitoring: GEL 5K development cost.
Matsne.gov.ge RSS feed · GILS Observatory infrastructure · Parliament legislative notification systemGeorgian employers, particularly SMEs and international investors, have difficulty navigating the combination of Labour Code, sector laws, and secondary legislation. Annual GILS publication: 'Georgia Labour Regulations Guide' — consolidated practical reference; all key secondary legislation summarised; compliance checklist by employer size and sector. English and Georgian.
GILS existing analytical capacity · GEA employer compliance interest · EU Delegation investor guidance| Convention / Standard | Subject | Ratified | Compliance | Key Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Resolution N41 | Minimum wage (1999) | Not amended | GEL 20 for 25 years | Most urgently needing amendment of any labour secondary legislation |
| MLHSA Order 01/N | OSH Sector Regulations (2018-2023) | Issued | Partial | Agriculture and informal sector not covered by sector-specific OSH regulations |
| Government Resolution | TSA eligibility thresholds | Updated periodically | Partial | TSA payment still below subsistence minimum despite periodic increases |