From Soviet-era labour regulation to EU approximation — the evolution of Georgian labour law 1991–2024.
Georgia's labour system before independence was governed by Soviet labour law — the KZoT (Code of Labour Laws). Employment was universal and guaranteed by the state; private employment, collective bargaining in the ILO sense, and independent trade unions did not exist. Wages were centrally set. The transition to independence in 1991 created an immediate need for entirely new labour legislation.
Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union. Soviet labour law remained in force by default. The initial period (1991–2004) was marked by civil conflict, economic collapse, and very limited labour law reform capacity.
Georgia joined the ILO in 1993 and immediately ratified 14 conventions, including all 4 then-fundamental conventions, establishing the international legal framework for future reform.
First post-Soviet law on trade unions, establishing the right to organise under C087 and C098. The Georgian Trade Union Confederation (GTUC) was formally established under this framework.
A new Labour Code was adopted — widely regarded at the time as one of the most liberal (employer-friendly) in the post-Soviet space. It reduced worker protections significantly, allowing termination without stated reasons and limiting collective bargaining rights. ILO and ETUC raised concerns.
The ILO Committee of Experts repeatedly cited Georgia for failures to comply with C087 and C098 due to the weak collective bargaining framework. EU approximation pressure began building.
A comprehensive reform of the Labour Code introduced significant improvements: mandatory written contracts, grounds required for dismissal, strengthened anti-discrimination provisions, and collective agreement framework. Driven by EU Association Agreement negotiations.
The Law on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination adopted — required as part of the EU visa liberalisation action plan. Applies to employment among other spheres.
The Law on Occupational Safety adopted, introducing the first comprehensive OSH framework for hazardous work. ILO C155 and C187 aligned. The 2019 Anauri mine tragedy accelerated enforcement expansion.
The accumulative pension system launched — mandatory 2%+2%+2% contributions for workers under 40. A major milestone in social protection development.
Further reform aligned with EU Directive 2019/1152 on transparent and predictable working conditions. Introduced written contract deadline (1 month), strengthened atypical worker rights, and improved termination rules.
OSH law extended to all workplaces (not only hazardous sectors). Labour inspection powers significantly strengthened.
Georgia applied for EU membership (2022) and received candidate status (2023). Labour law reform is a key chapter in the accession process — with requirements to further align with EU labour directives, strengthen collective bargaining, and improve enforcement.
New ILO Decent Work Country Programme launched, focusing on productive employment, OSH, and social dialogue. The programme acknowledges progress made while identifying persistent gaps in enforcement, minimum wage, and collective bargaining coverage.
Georgia's labour history since 1991 is the story of an abrupt transition from a Soviet planned economy — where employment was universal, wages were set centrally, and trade unions were state appendages — to a market economy where employment is uncertain, wages are market-determined, and labour rights depend on institutional capacity that took decades to develop.
The transition was neither smooth nor linear. The 1991-1994 period saw near-total economic collapse: GDP fell by 70%, hyperinflation eroded wages and savings, and unemployment and poverty reached extreme levels. The recovery from this collapse — through the Saakashvili-era deregulation reforms (2004-2012) and the post-2012 DCFTA process — has shaped the current labour market in fundamental ways.
The 2006 Labour Code — adopted under the United National Movement government — was the most radical labour deregulation in post-Soviet space: minimal employment protections, no severance requirement, simplified dismissal, no minimum wage enforcement. The 2020 Labour Code reform, negotiated under DCFTA obligations, substantially reversed this approach — restoring employment protections, strengthening trade union rights, and aligning with EU standards.
Georgia's labour history is a cautionary tale about the risks of radical deregulation. The 2006 Labour Code experiment demonstrated that minimal employment protections do not automatically translate into economic growth — and that institutional damage (to unions, to enforcement capacity, to worker trust) takes decades to repair. The 2020 reform was the right correction. The remaining challenge is building the enforcement institutions — LIS, dispute resolution, union capacity — that turn legal rights into practical protection.
Georgia has no comprehensive documented history of labour relations since independence. GILS to commission a Labour History of Georgia 1991-2026: monograph (200pp); interviews with key participants; primary source analysis of legislative history. Publish as PHIG monograph. Deposit with National Library. Fund via Open Society Foundation Georgia (confirmed interest).
PHIG research capacity · Open Society Foundation Georgia · National Library of GeorgiaThe effects of the 2006 deregulation have never been systematically studied. Commission retrospective analysis: (1) employment and wage data 2004-2012 vs comparators; (2) LIS capacity and violations data; (3) union membership trends; (4) worker survey on rights awareness. Findings inform future reform design. Geostat archival data available.
GILS research capacity · World Bank archived data · ILO historical recordsGeorgian school curricula do not include labour rights history. Develop: (1) secondary school module on labour rights (2 hours; Georgian-language; aligned with civics curriculum); (2) university lecture series — GILS speakers at law and social science faculties; (3) GILS History page as teaching resource. MoES partnership for school curriculum integration.
GILS Knowledge Hub (extend) · Georgian Ministry of Education · GTUC education committeeKey witnesses to Georgia's labour history are ageing. Commission oral history interviews: 40 interviews with: trade union officials, labour lawyers, MLHSA officials, workers involved in key disputes. Archive at National Archives. Selections published on GILS website. PHIG research fellow leads. ILO Labour History Programme can co-fund.
ILO Labour History Programme · Georgian National Archives · GILS/PHIG research capacityGeorgia's labour history is part of the broader post-Soviet transition story shared with all Eastern Partnership countries. GILS to develop comparative labour history research: Georgia-Moldova-Armenia-Ukraine parallel analysis; co-publish with counterpart institutes; present at international labour history conferences.
European Labour History Network · ILO history of social security · GILS international partnerships| Convention / Standard | Subject | Ratified | Compliance | Key Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C087 | Freedom of Association (historical) | 1993 | Serious regression 2006-2020 | Union suppression documented 2006-2015; 2020 reform partially restored rights |
| Labour Code | Major reform milestones | 2006 deregulation; 2020 reform | In progress | 2006 Code: rights regressed; 2020 Code: substantial restoration; implementation ongoing |
| DCFTA Ch.13 | Social Policy (reform driver) | 2014 | Partial | DCFTA is primary driver of 2020 reform; enforcement still lagging |