Deceived Armenians block road in Yerevan
By Rashid Shirinov
The Armenian economy is suffering from a package of problems; the lower foreign investment, collapse of remittances, falling exports, depreciation of the dram, inflation, etc. Estimates for next year are not optimistic, and the authorities seem fail to improve the situation.
As the state fails to provide its population with decent jobs, protests against the government see no end.
Former employees of the rubber plant Nairit shut down a central Yerevan highway on November 3 as a sign of protest against unpaid salaries.
The crowd demanded the salary debts be paid along with the due fines and duties. The employees of the plant have been repeatedly holding demonstrations and protest actions in the past years, demanding unpaid salaries of 18-24 months.
The workers have already held numerous protests near the government building and the presidential residence.
In early October, the employees held a protest also in front of the Armenian president’s residence. However, the staff of the residence did nothing but promised that the issue will be considered.
The plant, which had produced chloroprene rubber, was closed back in April 2010 because of not being able to pay wages to its employees. Since then, the Armenian government is looking for possible investors, but in vain.
Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan also has upset the plant’s former workers. He said on October 22 that the issue of restarting the plant was not included in the Government’s new program “because there is no specific and effective suggestions from potential investors.”
The unemployment rate in Armenia is still the highest among the CIS countries, making up 19.3 percent, and due to the wrong structure of national economy, new vacancies do not seem to come up in near future.
In addition to terrible unemployment, the wages in the country keep falling down. Decline in public sector made up 3.5 percent as compared to the data of last year. In general, significant decrease in salaries has been observed throughout Armenia. Salaries are declining in both public and private sectors, and the Armenian government seems not being able to stop it.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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