Global solidarity for Evolution workers in Georgia

UNI Global Union gaming affiliates from across the world have pledged their support for online casino workers at Evolution in Georgia, who have been striking since 12 July.

Workers at Swedish-owned gaming giant, Evolution, which employs around half of its 15,000 workforce in Georgia, are fighting for safe and sanitary working conditions, a wage they can live off and the right to collectively bargain with the company, among other demands.

The solidarity came at a global meeting attended by gaming unions from 15 countries in Helsinki, Finland, on 16 and 17 October.

Participants viewed a video introduced by Tamar Ansiani, an Evolution worker in Georgia who endured nearly three weeks on hunger strike. The video highlighted the dangerous working conditions and harassment faced by Evolution employees, as well as their steadfast determination to continue protesting despite the presence of masked enforcers hired to intimidate workers on the picket line.

“We have been given a picture, a picture that is really unacceptable. People who are going hungry. People who had to go back to work because they had no other choice. We cannot tolerate these things. But still they continue their fight – they are an example to us all,” said Pilar Rato, Servicios CCOO and UNI Europa Gaming President urging unions to donate to the UNI solidarity fund for the striking Evolution workers.

Magnus Kjellsson from Engineers of Sweden, said that together with UNI’s other Swedish affiliate, Unionen:

“We have been doing a lot of work to get attention to these issues in Sweden and that includes meeting with the CEO at Evolution…unfortunately the response from the company has been to reject any kind of dialogue.”

Janet MacLeod from Unite the Union in the UK revealed that Evolution provides online gaming services to Grosvenor Casinos in London, where they organize, and offered support to the workers in Georgia. “We want to work with our Georgian colleagues and UNI Global Union to offer a concrete set of steps in the very unequal battle that you are waging against a global corporation, with huge resources, where the power imbalance can’t really be understood.”

Kristiina Lindroos from Finnish union PRO, said that while there is a need to protect players online, companies also have a responsibility to protect online workers too.

Unions in the U.S., including UNI affiliate Culinary Workers Union Local 226 in Las Vegas have also taken action in solidarity with the Evolution workers, campaigning for Evolution to be denied a licence by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Head of Gaming at UNI, Giedre Lelyte, said:

“Evolution workers have already sacrificed so much, so we must fight until the end and push the company to sit at the table. Whatever Evolution says, workers want to negotiate and get an agreement to improve working conditions. They are not demanding millions. They just want decent treatment. They want to stop harassment. They want to work in a healthy and respectful environment. So I’m extremely pleased to see UNI affiliates ready to support workers at Evolution Georgia.”