There is no definite legislation which regulates labour relations in the sphere of culture.
The new Labour Code of Georgia was adopted on 25 May 2006. It abolished the Law on Collective Agreements and Engagements, which was used sometimes in labour relations with creative workers.
The new Labour Code of Georgia supports the protection of fundamental human rights, fair remuneration, and labour safety standards.
In addition to this Code, labour issues are regulated by the Law on Public Service, which regulates the labour relations of public servants (including in the sphere of culture).
Under the Law on Art Workers and Art Unions, Article 8, paragraph 1, an art worker may work in a freelance capacity, be directly employed or work under another type of contract. However, today this law is idle.
In Georgia, there is a trade union for workers in the cultural sector but there is no trend of negotiations on agreements and contracts between employers and trade unions on working conditions.
The average monthly salary of art workers is extremely poor and is equal to 84.8 GEL, on average. This sum is 15.6 % less than the salary of teachers and doctors (100 GEL on average) and is 95 % less than the salary of judges (equivalent to 1 000 USD in the national currency).
Table 7: Monthly salary of artists in Georgia, by gender, 2004
| Salary in GEL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | Men | Average wage | |
| Culture, entertainment, recreation | 69.8 | 110.4 | 84.8 |
Source: State Department for Statistics
Further statistical data on the cultural sector is not available.
After the November crisis of 2007 and substitution of the Prime Minister, the government promised to raise the salary of museum workers and teachers (it should be noted that the monthly salary of custodians of regional museums is very small – 20 GEL (equivalent to 10 EUR).
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