Dockers stop their five-day strike in Batumi Port

The strike held in the Batumi Port by employees of the company "Batumi International Container Terminal", who demanded higher wages and better working conditions, is over.

Let us remind you that the first phase of the strike began on May 30; and on June 1, new strikers joined the action. The strikers demanded higher wage, to open a medical centre at the enterprise, and take measures to ensure labour safety.

The Filipino Company "Batumi International Container Terminal" is leasing a part of the territory of the LLC "BatumiSeaPort". The port administration has increased the salaries of its employees, but Filipino managers refused to do it.

Currently, the port authorities are involved in negotiations with the Filipino Company – the tenant of the container terminal – aiming to remove the reasons of workers' discontent.

"Should the administration of the terminal fail to make concessions, first we'll hold protest without stopping the work; and then the strike can be resumed," said Ilya Versadze, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Director of the Batumi Port Talgat Baitaziev has supported the strikers' demands, although he noted that the stop of the work of the container terminal would indirectly affect the income of the port.

So far, the "Caucasian Knot" has no comments of the officials of the "Batumi International Container Terminal" regarding the statements of the strikers and the Confederation of Trade Unions of Adzharia.