Around 300 workers from the hazelnut factory “Agro-Georgia” in Zugdidi went on strike on August 13, 2014, demanding higher wages and better working conditions. The strikers said their daily pay was only 20 GEL, which they claimed did not reflect the amount of work performed.

Workers noted that those doing similar jobs on private contracts earned 25–30 GEL per day and demanded that the company match market wages. They blocked the road leading to the factory, preventing trucks from passing, but reopened it after police intervention.

“Agro-Georgia,” a subsidiary of confectionery producer Ferrero, refused to meet the workers’ demands, stating that only 300 out of 1,200 employees had joined the protest.

The workers ended the strike after a request from the Governor of Samegrelo–Zemo Svaneti, Levan Shonia, who promised to mediate between them and the factory’s management.