Armenian pilots go on streets again
By Gunay Camal
The 7th of July was another hectic day for Yerevan, as the capital city saw new protesters on its streets demanding justice.
Over 60 disabled pilots and engineers of the bankrupt Armenian Airlines went on holding protest near the House of Government demanding pensions that have not been paid since 2006.
The disabled pilots have for ten years been struggling for compensations for occupational disability that the government ceased to pay from September 2006.
“Every time we gather here, but in vain. Prime Minister promised to resolve the issue until March, and we believed, but what will become of it now? They keep cheating us. They only think how to remain at the helm of the state and plunder the people,” highlighted the pilots.
Back in 2014, Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan promised to resolve the issue, but according to the pilots, nothing has been done so far.
“The persons, who became disabled or died during the work, according to Article 579, point 16 of the law, they must receive compensation. We received that compensation until 2006, but then the law changed and that provision was removed. At the order of Robert Kocharyan and with active participation of Davit Harutyunyan the Armenian airlines went bankrupt and we appeared in this situation,” noted Seyran Sargsyan, a1plus.am reports.
“Armenian Airlines was deliberately made bankrupt in March 2003. Then, Robert Kocharyan chaired that meeting, and Decision #331A was signed by David Harutyunyan,” another pilot reminded. “They turned the airplanes into scrap and placed the premises at Eduardo Eurnekian’s disposal. They divided the rest between themselves and declared bankruptcy.”
The total volume of payment to be made is about 1.2 billion drams (about $2.5 million), while there is a court order requiring the authorities to carry out payments.
For the past ten years these people continue to defend their rights and urge the government not cheat them, but in vain.
The former employees of the Armenian Airlines have ceased to believe the authorities, and appealed to the European Court of Human Rights to seek justice.
Of course, the pilots are not the first who demand justice. The list of protesters is long enough with the parents of deceased Armenian soldiers, protesters against tariff rises, employees of Nairit chemical rubber plant and many others.
The Armenian authorities so far successfully ingrained habit of cheating, and continue to be deaf to its citizens.
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