Social Justice Center vs. Evolution AB

Allegations

On 19 August 2024, the Georgian NGO Social Justice Center filed a complaint against  Evolution AB at the Swedish NCP. Social Justice Center submitted the complaint on behalf of the trade union Evo-Union. Evolution AB is an on-line live gaming company headquartered in Stockholm with operations in Georgia and other countries across Europe and the Americas.

The complaint raised labour rights and human rights issues regarding union members and employees of Evolution AB’s subsidiary Evolution Georgia. According to the complainant, in July 2024 a number of employees went on strike, protesting against “low pay, unhealthy and unsafe working environment and working conditions, violation of sanitary and hygiene norms in the workplace, derogatory treatment of employees and other problems related to the working conditions in the company.” Before the strike, a mediation process in Georgia failed to resolve the issues. The complainant seeks to pressure the company to change its practices.

Relevant OECD Guidelines

• Chapter II
• Chapter II Paragraph A2
• Chapter IV
• Chapter IV Paragraph 2
• Chapter V
• Chapter V Paragraph 4B
• Chapter V Paragraph 4C
• Chapter V Paragraph 7
• Part 1

Outcome

On 21 January 2025, the Swedish NCP accepted the complaint in its initial assessment. The NCP’s good offices were accepted by the complainant, but rejected by the company.

In its final statement dated 29 July 2025, the NCP stated that both parties had provided additional information regarding the issues raised, but “the parties have presented fundamentally different views of the situation on the ground, and for the NCP it has been challenging to get a clear picture.”

Regarding the responsibilities in Chapter V (Employment and Industrial Relations) of the OECD Guidelines, the Swedish NCP recommended that both parties meet and dialogue on the company providing wages and working conditions able to satisfy the basic needs of Georgian workers and their families. The NCP also recommended “the enterprise to take adequate steps to ensure occupational health and safety in their operations and to engage in a continuous dialogue with its employees in order to be able to identify safety and health concerns at work”, and to resume dialogue with the union. The NCP said that it was available to facilitate dialogue if the parties require.

Regarding the responsibilities in Chapters II (General Policies) and IV (Human Rights) and in the context of information that there had been violence from the strikers’ side as well as by security guards hired by the enterprise, the NCP recommended the company ensure that employees have the possibility to organise and negotiate collectively. The NCP also encouraged the parties to ensure that no illegal measures be taken by any of their representatives or strike participants.

The NCP also noted, “Due to the risk of impartiality of one Swedish NCP member, with whom a potential conflict of interest could occur, that member refrained from participating in the discussion of this specific instance throughout the whole process…”

More details

Documents

• 29 July 2025

  Final statement

  Swedish NCP
• 21 January 2025

  Initial assessment

  Swedish NCP