LABOR, the union representing Evolution Georgia employees, has submitted a petition to Sweden’s Financial Supervisory Authority, Finansinspektionen, requesting a review of the company’s public disclosures.
In the petition, the union also cautioned Evolution’s shareholders, stating that the company’s “confrontational approach toward employees attempting to exercise their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining” threatens a key element of its business model.
This action follows ongoing protests in Georgia, where over half of Evolution Gaming’s 8,000 workers in Tbilisi have been striking since July 12, citing “low wages, poor working conditions, and other unfair labor practices.” In total, employees raised 44 concerns, including safety and hygiene issues like inadequate ventilation, temperature control, and unsanitary workspaces.
The union also reported that during an August 1 sit-in at Evolution’s headquarters, striking workers faced “violence and intimidation,” with over 1,000 employees allegedly “fired in retaliation.” LABOR further accused Evolution of exposing the personal information of hundreds of strikers, endangering their safety.
“We asked for basic things such as the presence of a doctor at the workplace and a solution to sanitary issues. They rejected everything, leaving us with no choice but to strike.
Evolution has built its business on the backs of its workers in Georgia, and they are expanding in the United States and other countries. If this is how they treat us, it should be a sign to investors that their business practices need to evolve,” said Evolution Gaming employee Mahare Patashuri.
In a statement, LABOR noted that Evolution “adheres to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, which require investors to use their influence with companies to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts.”
The union also said that workers striking during a sit-in near the company’s headquarters on August 1 “faced violence and intimidation,” and more than 1,000 workers were “fired in retaliation.”
LABOR added that Evolution “has been accused of distributing the personal information of hundreds of strikers and putting their safety at risk, and on the night of September 15th, one of the strike organizers was attacked outside his home.”
“The strikers were locked out and thrown out. Abusive remarks and conflicts in the workplace are becoming increasingly common, and this is what has brought even more people to protest.
Evolution shareholders need to take a hard look at their investment and hold the company accountable for upholding the fundamental rights of workers whose work is critical to the success and healthy reputation of the company,” said LABOR union leader Giorgi Diasamidze.
“Evolution cannot afford to underestimate the importance of maintaining a stable, fairly paid, properly respected gaming workforce in its core hub. Evolution stakeholders have a shared interest with LABOR members in maintaining the viability of Evolution’s long-term market position,” LABOR’s statement concluded.
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