On April 27, 2021, up to 2,000 employees of LLC “Rustavi Azot” held a protest demanding a salary increase of up to 50%. One of the protesters told Radio Liberty that the last time their salaries were increased was 5–6 years ago, by only 5%. The average salary of the striking workers was 500 GEL.

Later, the Rustavi majoritarian MP Nino Latsabidze and Member of Parliament Aleksandre Dalakishvili arrived at the factory. After speaking with both sides, Nino Latsabidze stated that she received a promise from the administration regarding a salary increase, but before announcing a concrete offer, the management requested a one-week period. Negotiations held on April 28 with the factory management ended without results.

That day, the Rustavi Azot plant was not operating; the production process had been halted, and almost all employees had joined the strike. The protests continued in the following days.

On May 1, the management offered the strikers a salary increase, not by 50% but by a smaller amount, and proposed a differentiated approach, which part of the protesters accepted.