The Business Association of Georgia Hosted a Conference on Alternative Resolution of Labor Disputes

15 Sep '25

“Alternative Resolution of Individual Labor Disputes – International and Georgian Perspectives” was the subject of a two-day conference hosted jointly by the Business Association of Georgia and Dansk Industry within the framework of their joint project.

The conference aimed to initiate a systemic dialogue on developing alternative mechanisms for resolving individual labor disputes, involving social partners, legal practitioners, law firms, mediators, arbitrators, attorneys, academic circles, representatives of business associations, and other interested parties. The goal was to analyze these mechanisms, align the positions of social partners, and develop a pilot/trial model.

During the two-day event, a research paper prepared by labor law expert Zakaria Shvelidze titled “Alternative Resolution of Individual Labor Disputes: A Roadmap for System Development” was presented. This was followed by a broad audience discussion that enabled a proper understanding of international best practices, as well as the identification of challenges from a local perspective and the planning of appropriate steps to overcome them.

In the course of the conference, Dansk Industry and Danish Trade Union Confederation experts Jørn Kempel and Philip Nordentoft shared their experience with the audience regarding the "Danish Model" of labor dispute resolution and international perspectives.

“The Business Association of Georgia actively continues its cooperation with our Danish partners. The objective of our joint project is to develop the labor market and better adapt it to economic needs during the EU approximation process. Today's conference was dedicated to exploring ways for alternative resolution of individual labor disputes, which is crucial for avoiding lengthy and costly litigation and fostering a better understanding of employment policy within companies. This is not our first joint event under this project, and we believe BAG's cooperation with our Danish partners is already yielding tangible benefits for both the business sector and our country's economy,” stated Levan Vepkhvadze, Executive Director of the Business Association of Georgia.

As a reminder, the conference was held as part of the joint project between the Business Association of Georgia and Dansk Industry: “Developing Georgia’s Labor Market: Promoting Social Dialogue, Skills, and Harmonization with the EU.”