Strikers at Rustavi Azot demanded an apology from the administration.

On the second day of the strike, employees of a chemical plant in Rustavi called the administration's proposed wage increase humiliating and demanded an apology.

As reported by Caucasian Knot, on January 28, several hundred employees of Rustavi Azot announced a strike in the city of Rustavi. The employees are demanding higher wages, otherwise they vowed to resort to continuous protests and paralyze the work process.

The Rustavi Azot strike continues for the second day. Workers are demanding a wage increase of at least 300 lari (approximately $110) and a meeting with Rustavi Mayor Nino Latsabidze, Pirveli TV reported today.

According to the strikers, the 4% wage increase proposed by plant management is a mockery and humiliation for the workers. They said the protest would continue until they received the wage increase they demanded.

In addition, according to one of Today, at the request of the protesters, an alternative trade union will be brought in to meet the demands of the plant's workers.

"We appeal to the Central Trade Union: under no circumstances should you dare come here. You have no business here, and you will not be able to interfere in this matter," said one of the plant's employees.

According to one of the strikers, Davit Metreveli, they do not intend to back down and are demanding an apology from the administration, according to the publication "Info Rustavi."

"We are not going to end this protest or back down under any circumstances. Our demand is a fixed wage increase, not a percentage. It would be a noble step for the administration to come out and apologize to these people for the humiliation. We will not disperse, we will not go anywhere," he said.

"The production process has been stopped. This is not the fault of the personnel working here. The decision to stop the production process was made by the administration itself," he emphasized. Metreveli.

According to the publication, a meeting between the heads of various workshops and the plant's management took place today to discuss the strikers' demands. The negotiations were unsuccessful. Protesters anticipate another meeting. Those gathered once again appealed to the city's mayor, Nino Latsabidze, calling for her cooperation.

In April 2021, approximately 500 employees of Rustavi Azot blocked the entry and exit of vehicles from the plant's premises, demanding a 50% wage increase. The trade union supported the protesters' demands.