The Public Defender of Georgia echoes the strike of the employees of Evolution Georgia LLC, which has been ongoing since July 12. Even before the strike, the Public Defender called on the employer to strictly protect the labour rights of the employees.

It became known to the Public Defender of Georgia that along with the employment relationship, the right to use the health insurance stipulated in the labour contract had been suspended for the striking employees. At the same time, among the strikers are pregnant women, cancer patients and people with other chronic diseases, for whom the use of insurance services is of particular importance.

We would like to inform the public that for cancer patients, pregnant women, people with diabetes and other medical needs, regardless of the use of private insurance services, the State provides access to the basic medical services within the framework of the universal health care programme. If the striking employees of Evolution Georgia are restricted from using the services of the universal programme, the Public Defender of Georgia expresses readiness to study their issue, based on their appeal.

Since the strike of the Evolution Georgia employees has been ongoing for almost two weeks, there is a danger that the people participating in the strike will need the necessary medical services that they would have received under the conditions of private health insurance. This may put the health status of the strikers at risk and therefore further increase the employer's liability.

The Public Defender once again calls on the management of Evolution Georgia LLC to conduct active communication with the employees participating in the strike and their representatives, as well as to use all the available opportunities to reach a consensus in order to timely provide the employees with decent working conditions and restore their access to the health insurance services stipulated in their labour contract.