23:59, 15 December 2016

Protest of "Nairit" Factory workers was 50 people strong

The rally of the former employees of the "Nairit" factory. An inscription on the poster: "Cancellation of the slave contract". Yerevan, July 4, 2016. Photo by Tigran Petrosyan for the "Caucasian Knot"

Workers of the "Nairit" Chemical Factory demand to resume the production of caoutchouc (rubber resin) in the country. The Armenian Ministry of Energy has stated that it had received no bids (applications) for participating in the tender for factory restart.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 13, "Nairit" workers blocked Bagratunyats Street, demanding to repay their five-month salary debts. They came out to the protest action, after the factory bosses promised to pay only one-month salaries.

Today, former employees of the factory once again gathered at the building of the government, demanding to restart the enterprise. They also demand to annul the agreement to waive penalties and fines that accrued during salary delay.

The "Nairit" workers have been seeking repayment of wage debts since 2011. On August 4, 2015, the debts were paid out after achieving an agreement with factory bosses. However, ex-employees claim that they were forced to sign the agreement through blackmail. According to their story, workers were forced to refuse from receiving the above fines and penalties, accumulated due to late payment.

Former workers have added that they had received an answer from Samvel Karapetyan, the owner of the "Electric Networks of Armenia" (ENA) and the head of the "Tashir" Group of Companies.

According to Karine Shakhverdyan, one of factory ex-employees, said that the answer reads that the factory can be provided with a rehabilitation programme.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Tigran Petrosyan

Source: CK correspondent