“I’m forty years old. I’ve been working in a supermarket for three years and haven’t had a day off,” says a woman who wishes to remain anonymous.

It is the third year that she has been working for 56 hours a day, 7 days a week. Despite the 40-hour work week stipulated by law, she had not received overtime pay. As she states, in spite of numerous requests, her employer did not allow her to use her rest day, let alone mention the vacation. Furthermore, our respondent is forced to multitask without her agreement or remuneration.

“I am an administrator, in charge of product prices, expiration dates, and, if necessary, assisting the cashier. At the same time, we are responsible for pulling heavy loads into the store, among other things. Many people advised me to quit my job, but the same thing happens elsewhere; where should I go?” she told GPB First Channel.

Our respondent sought assistance from the Labour Inspection Service. The initial examination discovered that the company she works for had violated five articles and five separate clauses of the Georgia Labour Code. However, the company failed to comply with the warnings.

Regardless of the given instructions, warnings, or penalties, the issues over labor rights protection are rather vast.

We also spoke with a single mother with two young children who worked as a shop assistant for about a year, seven days a week and 10 hours a day. No contract was offered to her, and despite verbal promises of a day’s rest, she never received it.

“In the future, I will sign a contract before starting a new job, but I know this won’t change anything. Employers will continue to act the same way,” says Mariam Sopromadze.

As for the solutions, Irakli Petriashvili, the Vice-President of the International Trade Union Confederation, believes state control over law enforcement and employer awareness are the keys to resolving the current situation.