The Open Society Georgia Foundation supports the demands raised by social workers, who are employees of the Social Service Agency and who went on strike demanding better working conditions. We believe that the demands of social workers aim at improving the social protection system in the country.
The list of demands raised by the strikers clearly highlight the root problems persisting in the social protection system. Moreover, the labor conditions of social workers are especially alarming. We understand that to ensure smooth functioning of the social protection system, it is critically important for the government to provide dignified and safe working conditions to social workers.
The Open Society Georgia Foundation has been supporting the development of social work in Georgia since the day of introduction of this profession. A number of social workers received academic education with the Foundation’s support. Later, the Foundation financed several projects of the Association of Social Workers. The Open Society Georgia Foundation’s working topics, among them juvenile justice, public health or homelessness largely depend on the possibilities of social workers to perform their duties comprehensively.
We call on the Georgian Government and the Parliament to take social workers’ legitimate demands into consideration.
Update as of April 2, 2019
Social Workers End Strike, Source: Civil.ge