Epress.am News from Armenia
As is the case every Thursday, so it was today: a demonstration was taking place in front of the Armenian government building in Yerevan’s Republic Square. This time it was a group of about 30 demonstrators, protesting the same time last week, who were formerly employed by the state department responsible for issuing social assistance payments. The department was dissolved on Nov. 4, 2010 (its services most likely taken over by a different department), but demonstrators say they were only informed of this on Dec. 26, 2010.
The department’s 270 employees were made redundant.
“They promised us, they would find us work at HayPost [the national postal service] but only 4–5 people have been given jobs. They haven’t even given us severance pay. We’re asking that they give us our severance pay and find us work,” said one of the demonstrators, who noted they were all members of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia.
“Before the [2008] presidential elections, our director came and distributed Republican [Party of Armenia membership] booklets. He said, either take them or leave the job. We took them. We’ve also appealed to the Republican Party on this issue and met with [head of the Republican Party parliamentary faction] Galust Sahakyan. He said this is outside of his duties. They also told us from the Republican Party that the department has been dissolved, end of story. We don’t need such a party, we’re going to burn our membership cards. Personally, I’m going to leave [the party],” said the demonstrator.
“We’re all going to leave [the party],” responded another protestor.
Demonstrators noted that they’re going to wait till RA Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artur Grigoryan leaves the government building, so they can approach him personally on the issue.