Annual assessment of the state of labour rights in Georgia — measuring legal framework quality, enforcement effectiveness, and real-world outcomes across six rights domains.
| Domain | Law score | Enforcement score | Outcome score | Domain total | Key issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining | 82 | 65 | 66 | 71 | Good law; low bargaining coverage in practice |
| Forced Labour and Child Labour Prohibition | 88 | 72 | 78 | 79 | Strong legal framework; limited Gulf state monitoring |
| Non-Discrimination and Equal Treatment | 74 | 38 | 42 | 51 | Good law (14 protected grounds); very weak enforcement |
| Occupational Safety and Health | 66 | 38 | 44 | 49 | 2018 law is adequate; inspectorate understaffed |
| Employment Security and Termination | 58 | 45 | 50 | 51 | Post-2013 reforms helped; no reinstatement enforcement |
| Minimum Wage and Wage Protection | 12 | 35 | 36 | 28 | GEL 20 nominal minimum = functional zero |
| OVERALL LABOUR RIGHTS INDEX | 63 | 49 | 53 | 52 | — |
Scores: law = quality of legal framework vs ILO standards; enforcement = inspectorate capacity, complaint mechanisms, penalties; outcome = observed real-world result (e.g. actual wage paid, actual reinstatements, actual union recognition). Each dimension weighted equally. The minimum wage domain (28/100) is the single largest drag on Georgia's overall score — a single legislative action could raise the index by 8–10 points.
| Year | Overall | FoA/CB | Non-discrim. | OSH | Min Wage | Key change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 43 | 62 | 36 | 28 | 25 | Pre-OSH law baseline |
| 2018 | 47 | 65 | 40 | 38 | 25 | OSH Law enacted |
| 2020 | 49 | 68 | 42 | 44 | 27 | OSH enforcement begins |
| 2022 | 51 | 70 | 44 | 47 | 28 | Disability Rights Law |
| 2024 | 52 | 71 | 51 | 49 | 28 | Non-discrimination enforcement improved slightly |
The minimum wage score is unchanged since 2016 — an absolute floor on rights progress. Every other domain has improved since 2016, reflecting genuine legal and institutional reforms. Source: GILS Labour Rights Index (2016–2024). Methodology note and full data available on request.
The GILS Labour Rights Index tracks Georgia's performance on 12 core labour rights indicators, each scored 0-10 based on available evidence. The composite 2023 score is 4.2/10 — consistent with ITUC's 4/5 rating ('No guarantee of rights') but with significant variation across indicators: some (OSH legal framework: 7/10) are strong; others (minimum wage adequacy: 0.5/10; collective bargaining coverage: 1/10) are critically weak.
The Index provides a more granular picture than a single composite score. It identifies where Georgia's labour rights framework is genuinely strong (anti-discrimination law: 7/10; funded pension: 7.5/10; labour inspection legal mandate: 6/10) and where it is critically deficient (minimum wage: 0.5/10; CB coverage: 1/10; anti-union enforcement: 2/10; unemployment protection: 0/10).
Georgia's 4.2/10 composite Labour Rights score reflects a country with good legal architecture and poor enforcement. The framework is there — the Labour Code, OSH Law, Anti-Discrimination Law, and ratified ILO conventions. What is missing is: enforcement capacity (LIS underfunded, understaffed); enforcement will (political economy of enforcement is weak); and structural reform (minimum wage, collective bargaining, unemployment insurance). GILS publishes the Labour Rights Index annually to provide a transparent accountability mechanism for measuring progress.
The four zero/near-zero indicators require legislative action: (1) minimum wage GEL 500 (2025); (2) collective bargaining facilitation mandate — employer refusal becomes LIS offence; (3) unemployment insurance — 0.5%+0.5% contribution, 60% wage replacement, 6 months; (4) anti-union dismissal fine GEL 10,000 with reinstatement order. Parliament Q1 2025 session.
ILO CEACR requirements · DCFTA obligations · GTUC legislative proposalsLIS currently conducts 4,800 inspections/year against ILO benchmark of 12,000+ for Georgia's labour force size. Double inspector headcount (from 48 to 96); increase training budget; provide LIS with access to tax authority data for wage theft detection. Budget allocation: GEL 8M annually (additional). Measurable target: 10,000 inspections by 2026.
ILO C081 requirements · LIS Strategic Plan 2024-2027 · World Bank labour inspection TACurrently the worker must prove dismissal was union-related — practically impossible without internal employer documents. Amend Labour Code: in any dismissal within 12 months of union joining or union activity, the burden shifts to the employer to demonstrate the dismissal was for legitimate reasons unrelated to union activity. Aligns with ILO C098 and EU Directive 2019/1152.
EU Directive 2019/1152 Art.17 · Estonia (reversed burden in discrimination cases) · ILO C098 commentaryParliament route for minimum wage reform may face delay. Explore: Presidential Executive Order to set minimum wage by regulation (bypassing full legislative amendment), citing existing Labour Code authority to set minimum wage by government resolution. Legal opinion: feasible. Target: GEL 300 by Executive Order by June 2025; GEL 500 by Parliament amendment by end 2025.
Georgian Constitutional Framework · Comparative executive wage-setting (Moldova model) · GILS legal opinionAmend the Organic Law on Parliament: MLHSA must present an Annual Labour Rights Report to the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee by March 31 each year. Report must include: LIS inspection data; collective bargaining coverage; minimum wage adequacy ratio; complaint resolution rate. Parliament may request MLHSA appear to answer questions.
UK Annual Labour Market Report (statutory) · ILO reporting obligations · Georgian Parliament procedural reform| Convention / Standard | Subject | Ratified | Compliance | Key Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C081 | Labour Inspection | 1993 | Partial | 4,800 inspections vs 12,000+ ILO benchmark; 48 inspectors |
| C087/C098 | Freedom of Association / CB | 1993 | CEACR Observation | 5% CB coverage; anti-union impunity documented |
| C026 | Minimum Wage | 1993 | GEL 20 = 2.2% of living wage | Single most egregious labour rights failure in Georgia |