Another trial in Tbilisi City Court has been successfully completed. Judge Ketevan Kuchava upheld the claims of Nargiza Kikvidze, a teacher who was illegally dismissed from Tbilisi public school # 167. In particular, the dismissal order was declared unlawful and the employer was charged to pay compensation.

Nargiza Kikvidze was fired on 1 September 2017 by the order of the principal on the basis of Article 37 (1) (a) of the Organic Law of Georgia - Georgian Labor Code.

The plaintiff has been employed as a primary school teacher at Tbilisi public school N167 since 1977 on a life-term contract. For the 2017 school year, the Principal deliberately restricted the number of first graders to 75 students (the actual the number of applicants was much higher.) so only three elementary classes could be open (at least four elementary classes were created before.) and provided an artificial basis to release an unwanted teacher - Nargiza Kikvidze.

Since the emergence of the threat of dismissal, the plaintiff, with the assistance of the Educators and Scientists Free Trade Union of Georgia (ESFTUG), has attempted to resolve the dispute through negotiation, but to no avail.

Following lengthy trials, on 18 February, the court upheld the judgment, which partially setisfied the plaintiff's claims - namely, the dismissal order was declared invalid and the employer was ordered to pay compensation.

Currently, ESFTUG continues to advocate for other teachers in the Common Courts of Georgia and look forward to successful completion of their trials.