Maia Kobakhidze is President of the Educators & Scientists Free Trade Union of Georgia. Her tale is one that disgraces the Government of Georgia.
For many reasons I have been a supporter of Georgia. The country has had a rough deal from the West. The Conservative MPs on the Council of Europe disgracefully backed the Russians in 2008 when they invaded the sovereign territory of Georgia and created 30,000 additional Internally Displaced Persons. The Tory MPs in Strasbourg sit on a far right group named the EPP that contains many hardline Russians.
The Georgian Government has suffered with trade boycotts from what was their traditional customer Russia. For political reasons the Russians have run baseless health scares about Georgian products and destroyed their vast market in Russia. They are desperate for new investors. But they have gone too far in selling their country as one with weak trade unions.
Maia was the chosen leader of the 100,000 strong union that represents teachers and science workers in Georgia. She was called to the Ministry of Education and invited to resign her post in order to be replaced by a woman who was not even a member of the union. On offer to Maia was a comfortable job in the Education Ministry. She refused. In the Georgian idiom she said 'They were trying to break a stick over my head'. To agree to this deal would be to sell out her members and destroy the bargaining power of the union. It would have become a poodle compliant union like the ones of Soviet days.
A second approach was made to Maia when it was clear that she was not going to cooperate. She was warned to be careful and reminded of a person who was murdered a year ago in mysterious circumstances. Maia is convinced this was a veiled threat to her life.
Our delegation yesterday met Maia and other Trade Union Leaders in the British Embassy Building in Tbilisi. House of Lords Member and former Leader of the International Labour Organisation Bill Brett was able to give them valuable advice on how the matter can be tackled internationally. Bill was part of our very strong delegation from the International Parliamentary Union.
All members of the delegation, including the three Tories and the independent former Bishop of Oxford Richard Harries, were appalled at this threat to trade union rights. The Georgian Government must be embarrassed into realising that this conduct cannot be tolerated if they hope to join fully the European family of nations.
Ranter
The miracles of modern communications allow me to keep in contact with constituents' fury at the slaughter in Libya. How has this deranged ranter lasted so long? His speech from his bunker was at first comic but eventually frightening as he uttered his blood curdling threats.
I have been in touch with the Government urging a firm line to provide practical help.
You are so so predictable Buster in your small-minded meanness. You understand nothing but preach on everything. Has it escaped your attention that Georgia has been part of the life of Newport for the past 20 years?
I shall be reporting back to the Newport-Kurtaisi Association and I hope to use the findings of our delegation in Parliament.
Posted by: Paul Flynn | February 24, 2011 at 08:52 PM
buster now showing he's even less than the mealy mouthed, mean spirited, whiny, petulant brat he came across as before.
Come on buster, show us you at your best.
Trying to threaten a man of 75?
Pathetic excuse for a man
Let us know which business you have in Newport so we can all demonstrate our appreciation for your tough no-nonsense stance.
Do you think it would be good or bad for a real business, if people knew what a lowlife you are?
Perhaps they already know?
Posted by: HuwOS | February 25, 2011 at 05:55 PM
You're a what?
You aren't a man!
You are a nobody.
A nobody who tries to make himself out to be somebody by threatening someone who is both seventy five years of age and the elected representative of the people of Newport.
In doing so, you proved you were a nobody, not worthy of the tiniest amount of respect and if you behave like this with your business, it is no surprise that you have had to cut your staff.
If you behave like this with your staff, it is astounding that you have any staff at all.
If you have any inkling of respect for even yourself, you will identify yourself and your business, so that,
decent people, real men and women and children, can avoid them.
Posted by: HuwOS | February 25, 2011 at 06:30 PM
Its safe to say that Buster is all hot air if his previous track record is anything to go by. Did his business survive the disruption and loss of trade caused by the protest against the passport office closure. Or was he blagging then too?
Posted by: Ad | February 25, 2011 at 06:33 PM
My definition of a man. Someone who spends the majority of his 75 year in the service of those around him. I wish there were more like him.
My impression of you, Buster... Oh why bother? Blustering, bullying, posturing whingers like yourself are not worth the effort. But it would be nice to have your business address/name so I can avoid supporting you and your establishment and spend my money somewhere more deserving.
Posted by: Dawnybros | February 25, 2011 at 06:45 PM
"my customers either dont know flynn or cant stand him."
And yet you are still too much of a coward to announce what your business actually is!
I presume it isn't illegal, so can only conclude that you are just frightened of the consequences to your business of your behaviour behind a keyboard.
Or is my presumption incorrect?
Posted by: HuwOS | February 25, 2011 at 06:48 PM
"i didnt threaten an old man huw
i know he wouldnt be mouthy face to face."
God, could you be any more cowardly.
First you attempt to bully.
Then you attempt to deny your effort at bullying by claiming that your bullying would force an elected representative to change what they say to suit you and so you wouldn't actually follow through on your pathetic threats.
It's probably a good thing for you that your fear of exposure prevents you from identifying your business, people would cross the street to avoid you and children would laugh at you as you passed by.
Any illusion of respect that you have managed to con people into having for you would be well and truly tattered.
Gutlessness it seems, is your only sanctuary now, still given your attitude I can only assume you have long since been comfortable with it.
Posted by: HuwOS | February 25, 2011 at 06:59 PM
Thanks for all the support!
I rarely do this but 'Buster' is bust. I have flushed him out of the comments. The blog is a debate between intelligent people and he does not qualify.
But his rants today hve exposed his identity.
He does NOT have a business in the city centre. Nor does he have any customers.
He is sad lonely character who has spent futile hours trying to persuade people not to vote for me - including posting crudely made posters on lamp posts during the election. They were so pathetically stupid and untrue that they probably encouraged more people to vote for me.
He has tried before to construct a false identity to get space on this blog because no-one reads his own. I don't think we will hear from him again. Unless of course he cares to tell us who he is - so that we can avoid his business in future.
Posted by: Paul Flynn | February 25, 2011 at 07:30 PM
Looks like i've missed something.
Could it have been from the same hate-filled, right-wing author of a site aimed at eight year olds?
Posted by: Patrick | February 25, 2011 at 08:26 PM
Patrick you do 8 year olds a disservice
Posted by: HuwOS | February 25, 2011 at 08:53 PM
Buster has been provoked into exposing his identity as the person you mention Patrick. I think that is the last we will hear of him. He descended to his usual ranting.
Posted by: Paul Flynn | February 25, 2011 at 09:02 PM