Azernews.Az

YEREVAN – Over a hundred government workers took to the streets of the Armenian capital Yerevan on Monday, protesting against the expected closure of the state social security body employing them.

The Armenian government ordered in November to transfer the State Social Security Service to the ministry of labor. According to the measure, retired people’s pensions are either to be transferred to their bank accounts or they have to retrieve their pensions from the post offices, which means that 300 people engaged in distributing retirement benefits will lose their jobs by the end of this month.

The protesters first gathered outside the president’s office and then headed toward the government house, demanding that the authorities refrain from enforcing the measure.

The demonstrators also said both they and the other laid-off workers were forced to join the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) ahead of the disputed February 2008 presidential election that was won by the party's leader, Serzh Sarkisian, amid opposition allegations of massive fraud.

Some protesters angrily brandished HHK membership cards. "We don't need that party," said one of them. "We are going to hand these back to them, as a New Year's gift."

The government decided to restructure the pension agency one month before dismissing its head, Vazgen Khachikian. The latter is a senior member of the ruling party.

On Monday, Armenia’s minister of agriculture Gerasim Alaverdian was sacked. He was recalled by a ruling coalition party representing him due to what was termed as recession in the country’s agriculture sector.