Nairit workers gather in Yerevan demanding unpaid salaries
By Sara Rajabova
Recently, it has been difficult to see images of streets in the Armenian capital of Yerevan without protesters.
The increasing demonstrations show the people’s growing discontent with the government and government’s clumsiness in attempting to solve the remaining problems.
As protests against the electricity price hike shut down the central streets of Yerevan, over one hundred former employees of the Nairit Chemical Factory have assembled in front of the government building on July 16 to press the government to compensate their unpaid salaries.
They are demanding to meet with Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Yervand Zakharyan, to get answers on when the entire lot of plant workers will receive their wage arrears.
“We need to make it clear to him that we don’t want to receive the salaries in parts; we want to get the wages altogether,” said former Nairit Press Secretary Anush Harutyunyan, noting that they can’t wait until the end of the month, Armenian media reported.
A total of 1,700 Nairit workers were formally discharged as of February 6. At this point, the total debt that the Nairit Chemical Rubber Plant—which no longer operates—owes to its former employees amounts to 102 billion drams (approx. $215,184,825). Around $15 million of these arrears constitute18 to 24 months of unpaid wages for plant employees.
The workers have assembled outside the government building and the presidential office numerous times, demanding a solution to their salary-related problems.
Zakharyan had recently met with a group of former employees of Nairit in an attempt to convince them that he discussed the issue with the Armenian president and prime minister and upon the president’s order, the wage debts shall be paid by no later than July 15.
Despite the fact that the government had pledged to pay all of the salaries by July 15, no money has yet been transferred to the bank account of any Nairit employee.
Meanwhile, Gorik Hakobyan, the head of Armenia’s National Security Service, said Nairit chemical plant employees do not trust the government.
“Around 500 people gathered near the plant yesterday. People are worried, they think only some of them will get salary. They do not trust the government, and this is the reason they need guarantees,” he said.
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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
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