Today marks the fourth day of the hunger strike by employees of Evolution Georgia. It has been a very difficult period of their lives, they said to SiGMA News.

Earlier today "one of the strikers who has very low blood sugar needed medical attention", explains Giorgi Diasamidze, head of the Georgian Trade Union Confederation. "There is no difference between being part of the strike or not - we the employees of Evolution Georgia all want the same outcome from the company administration, " he added.

Over the past few months, SiGMA News has been inundated with concerns from employees, union leaders, and strike representatives about the ongoing dispute in Georgia involving Evolution. The situation has escalated, with the industry now questioning how long this standoff will persist.

In an exclusive interview this week, SiGMA News spoke with Giorgi Diasamidze, Chairman of LABOR and head of the Georgian Trade Union Confederation, Makhare Patashuri, and Tamar Ansiana, a representative of the Trade Union, to gain deeper insights into the matter.

The strikers, who are stationed in the same building as Evolution’s senior management, have reported an increase in the number of hunger strikers. They feel secure in their position at the entrance of the company’s main building, where their visibility is high. This strategic location not only ensures their safety but also amplifies their message.

The Union has also initiated a petition for support from non-strikers, aiming to escalate their resolution in this dispute. The growing support, they believe, reflects the widespread discontent within the company and the urgent need for a resolution.

LH: Can you elaborate on the primary issues that initiated the strike at the Tbilisi office of Evolution?

Diasmidze, Patashuri, Ansiana: There are a number of factors which initiated the strike. But the main and initial thing that triggered the strike were the leaked screenshots of Evolution's team managers . The team managers wrote comments that were in very bad taste. In our opinion they were racist , sexist and discriminated comments about the dealers who were employees of Evolution . There were other problems that included lower wages, in our opinion unnecessary breaches and violations to the dealers, health and sanitary issues. Overall, employees, in particular dealers were not being treated with respect by our employer.

LH: How would you react to Evolution’s assertion that the strike has inflicted irreversible harm to its operations?

Diasmidze, Patashuri, Ansiana: The company has a solution at this stage, it can sort out the relationship with the strikers and union which means meeting the demands that have been made. Damages can be recovered after the strike is over.

It is true that the strike has caused a lot of difficulties to a lot of people including the strikers themselves and it's not just the dealers and team managers who are currently working who are suffering. Some employees who are on strike have been living outside the offices of Evolution for days and there are people who lost their homes, single mothers who are currently on strike because of the unjustified treatment they believe they received from the company

From our point of view, extreme measures had to be taken since Evolution was not ready to listen to the strikers and hear about their problems, We believe that the company was not willing to negotiate with the strikers.

It is true that the strike has affected Evolution's operations. It is a difficult situation for both the strikers and the non strikers but as I said earlier, extreme measures had to be taken by the strikers for the company to listen to the strikers and their problems Its been over a month since the beginning of the strike and the company are doing everything in their power, trying to manipulate the dealers working inside to hate the strikers and so on but negotiate with the strikers and address the issue and come to a mutual agreement.

LH: Could you specify the working conditions that the employees are seeking to improve?

Diasmidze, Patashuri, Ansiana: One of the main issues is the working environment inside Evolution. Some tables are dirty and sometimes there is an infestation of mosquitoes. Some of the deals were severely affected with skin conditions, infections and allergies. Another major issue is low remuneration. The employees are not paid enough for thee work they put in. Some employees work so hard to support their families and settle for a mediocre salary and this is one of the issues we are trying to address. Some employees are disrespected with what we believe to be unjustfied break of our contract. There is a list of 45 demands from the strikers. The workers had 21 days of mediation with heads of Evolution in Georgia but this was of no help so far as out of the 40 requests made by the workers, almost none were accepted. Only after this did the workers at Evolution Georgia decide to go on strike. All ministry agencies were informed about the strike. After the 21 days of silence during which the workers lived in a tent around the close and Evolution ignore the situation, and were covered extensively in the local media, did the strike actions commence. Police were present and Evolution lawyers too 24/6, but the strikers' actions remained within the limits of the law. Evolution brought in additional security who were rude to the strikers. Some employees were afraid of losing their jobs because the company leaders had no idea what to do.

LH: Tell me more about the layoffs.

Diasmidze, Patashuri, Ansiana: Evolution frequently targets employees who are still in their probation period which is six months. They recently fired 900 people without any reason . During the strike, Evolution hired many new employees, using new hires to fill gaps during the strike. We started a hunger strike on 13 August. This decision comes after a month of protesting without any response form Evolution Georgia. Despite the Ombudsman of Georgia urging the company to engage in negotiations Evolution Georgia has taken various steps, both legal and illegal to avoid conversations with the strikers. The decision to start a hunger strike was not made lightly but it has become the only option left to draw attention to our cause. The strikers are open to negotiations with company leaders. Using such a hard form of protest and risking health is not our desired decision. For more than a month we have been trying and waiting for steps to be taken.

LH: What is the current count of employees participating in the strike, and how has this figure evolved since the strike’s inception?

Diasmidze, Patashuri, Ansiana: Several thousand workers have gone on strike since the strike began. Their number is constantly changing. Some of the employees returned temporarily and then rejoined the strike, some continue to work and some joined the ranks of the strikers during the strike. The figure is constantly fluctuating but it has never fallen below 2000.

LH: Could you detail the union’s attempts to negotiate with Evolution prior to and during the strike?

Diasmidze, Patashuri, Ansiana: During the strike period we did not make any attempts at negotiation based on the fact that both parties know that this time the initiative of negotiation should be initiated by the employer. The trade union has now been negotiating for the last two years, but Evolution has never expressed its desire to resolve the main issues. The last negotiation was conducted with the involvement of a mediator where we agreed on only one of the 39 critical issues presented. Specifically, the company only agree to the Union's request to add a covered smoking area to the yard.

LH: How would you respond to Evolution’s claim that the strike actions were illegal?

Diasmidze, Patashuri, Ansiana: Law enforcement and police have been present since the beginning of the strike and have acted accordingly to ensure that everything being done is within legal parameters. The necessary conditions stipulated by the law for a legal strike have been observed by the trade union.

LH: What is the union’s position on Evolution’s decision to terminate 1,000 employees?

Diasmidze, Patashuri, Ansiana: Evolution has employed additional personnel to replace those who went on strike. When the strike ends, these replacements will logically be threatened with dismissal on the grounds that they will no longer be needed. Evolution has been hiring people on an initial 6-month trial period, clearly to replace the strikers. This is why, as Evolution stated in their August 5 announcement, the company has been able to function smoothly until now.

However, realizing that it could not break the strike action with these replacement hires and that an agreement to end the strike is inevitable, the company is now firing those who were hired to replace the strikers and blaming it on the union. Article 68 of the Labour Code prohibits this. Dismissal during the probationary period is possible for the employer because both the Labour Code and the court do not require the employer to provide justification, payment of compensation, or advance warning (Article 17 of the Labour Code).

At the same time, if the employer plans mass layoffs, it is obliged to start consultations with the union of employees in a reasonable time with the intention of reaching a possible agreement. At a minimum, the consultation should include ways and means of avoiding mass layoffs or reducing the number of workers to be laid off, and the possibility of supporting the re-employment or retraining of the laid-off workers.

The strike will not stop and will continue until the fair demands of the employees are met. From the beginning of the strike until now, Evolution has been hiring people on a 6-month trial period to replace the strikers. This is why, as Evolution stated in their announcement of 5 August, the company has been able to function smoothly until now. Realizing that it could not break the strike with the replacements and that an agreement to end the strike is inevitable, the company is now firing those who were hired to replace the strikers and blaming it on the union, while the union has been repeating almost every day since the strike began that after the return of the strikers.

LH: How has the strike affected the morale of the employees and their perception of the union’s actions?

Diasmidze, Patashuri, Ansiana: Each person reacts differently. Confidence in the trade union has increased among strikers and their level of awareness of the situation has also increased. However, Evolution is conducting an active campaign to discredit the trade union and we think that that has managed to aggressively motivate the trade union going forward.

LH: What are the union’s planned actions if Evolution fails to meet the demands of the employees?

Diasmidze, Patashuri, Ansiana: The Union will continue to fight in strike mode until the demands are met.

SiGMA News strives to provide a platform for all parties involved.

Recognizing that there are always two sides to every story, SiGMA News has made several attempts to contact senior officers at Evolution via email, phone, and third-party intermediaries, offering an exclusive interview. Evolution has yet to accept the offer for an exclusive interview, which remains open. This would certainly shed light on the complexities faced by both employers and employees in support of a conflict resolution, possibly serving as a catalyst for calming tensions.

The Premier League is back, bringing excitement as twenty teams compete to achieve their season goals. Some aim for the title, others for European spots, while newcomers strive to retain their place in what is arguably the world’s most attractive league.

On the first weekend, Manchester City will to London to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, 18 August. The champions are eager to start the season with a win. Meanwhile, Chelsea has been active in the transfer market, recently acquiring Pedro Neto from Wolves for over ￡50 million.

Bookmakers consider Chelsea the underdogs (Odds at MrPlay.com – Chelsea to win at 3.90). Manchester City’s attacking prowess, featuring Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Jeremy Doku, could be formidable. However, under new manager Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s performance remains uncertain. With quality players, Chelsea could become a competitive side if they find their identity.

This match is highly anticipated. Historically, both teams have won 62 matches against each other. Recently, City had the upper hand, with Chelsea winless in their last six encounters. Notably, Manchester City has won 12 of their last 13 Premier League opening fixtures.

For Chelsea to win, key players must perform strongly. Promising talents like Mudryk (pictured above on the right), Nkunku, and Nicolas Jackson have been inconsistent. (Odds at MrPlay.com – Mudryk to score anytime at 5.10) Last season, Chelsea’s standout player was Cole Palmer, with 22 goals and 11 assists in 34 Premier League matches.

Manchester City boasts more consistent performers. Kevin de Bruyne has been exceptional when fit (Odds at MrPlay.com – Kevin de Bruyne to score first at 9.30). Defensively, City is solid with Gvardiol, John Stones, Nathan Ake, and Akanji. Bookmakers expect a high-scoring match (Odds at MrPlay.com – Match under 2.5 goals at 2.47).

For football fans, the stage is set. Manager press conferences on will provide more insights into preparations, objectives, and player conditions. The joy of the beautiful game returns this weekend.

In the USA, commercial gaming revenue has reached $17.63 billion in Q2 2024. This figure represents the "highest-grossing Q2 performance on record" according to the American Gaming Association. This marks the 14th consecutive quarter of revenue growth for the industry.

In this period, 24 states saw an increase in gaming revenue compared to the same quarter last year. The commercial gaming sector generated $3.73 billion in state taxes.

Both land-based and online gaming sectors experienced growth. Land-based gaming, which includes physical casinos and sportsbooks, accounted for 71.4 percent of the total revenue. Online gaming, while still growing, saw its growth rate slow from nearly 44 percent in Q2 2023 to 32.5 percent in Q2 2024, and contributed the remaining 28.6 percent of the revenue.

Revenue from brick-and-mortar casinos reached $12.49 billion in the second quarter, a 1.8 percent increase from the previous year.

The sports betting sector saw a 35.3 percent year-over-year increase, driven by new market entries in Kentucky, Maine, North Carolina, and Vermont. Americans wagered $31.75 billion, which translated into $3.16 billion in revenue.

Regarding iGaming, online casino games and other digital gaming platforms set a new record with $1.98 billion in revenue, marking a 26.1 percent rise from the previous year, as iGaming was finally introduced in Rhode Island in March.

David Forman, AGA Vice President of Research, explained, “While sports betting and iGaming remain key drivers of revenue growth, new brick-and-mortar properties in Illinois, Nebraska, and Virginia also contributed to the rise in traditional gaming revenue. However, the overall landscape is mixed due to a broader slowdown in consumer spending, which may persist through the end of the year.”

Time to vote! SiGMA has unveiled the final shortlist for the upcoming SiGMA East Europe Awards, set to take place during the SiGMA East Europe event.?

The online gambling market in Greece is growing and is expected to continue doing so, according to recent forecasts. With projected revenues reaching $1,576 million in 2024 and an anticipated annual growth rate of 3.58 percent from 2024 to 2029, the market will reach a volume of $1,879 million by the end of the decade.

The average revenue per user is expected to reach $1,080 in 2024, with the total number of users projected to increase to 1.838 million by 2029. The user penetration rate in the Greek market is expected to be at 14.2 percent in 2024, leaving room for growth.

Online sports betting is a standout performer among the various regulated Greek verticals, with a projected market volume of $860.10 million in 2024. The popularity of sports in the country, particularly football, has been driving demand for sports betting services.

Greeks are increasingly turning towards digital platforms, which are more convenient and accessible, through websites and mobile applications. This shift is particularly evident among younger consumers who are more comfortable with online transactions. Among online gambling options, live dealer games are becoming increasingly popular.

The growth of the online gambling market in Greece has been largely influenced by the country's regulatory framework. The Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) has established a licensing system that ensures a regulated and secure environment for online gambling operators and consumers. This system replaced the transitional licenses that were in place until 2020-2021, leading to an increase in gross gambling revenue as operators adapted to the new rules.

Despite the regulated environment, it is estimated that around 10 percent of Greek players still gamble?on the black market, according to the Hellenic Gaming Commission.