Epress.am News from Armenia
Today, the former employees of Kentron Makrutyun (Central Cleaning), a company that dissolved late last year, gathered in a protest in front of the Presidential Palace demanding their unpaid salaries.
“For three months we've been going back and forth from city hall to the district municipality. We’ve lost all home in the district municipality, that’s why we’ve come to ask for our money from the President. If not, then we don’t have a president, we’ll petition to the presidents of Russia or USA,” said one of the company’s former employees, who did not wish to be named.
Protest participants said the company had not allowed them to take their vacations for years, claiming that they did not have money for vacation pays. “Among us, there are people who have worked for 10 years straight and have large sums of money to receive. For example, I have 689,000 AMD ($1,440),” noted a protest participant.
A Presidential office staff member told demonstrators that a commission has been created in the district municipality to deal with the Kentron Makrutyun company employee issue. The staffer advised them to go to the district municipality instead of protesting in front of the Presidential Palace.
“They tell us to write a petition about how much debt we’re owed. As if they don’t know? Will they give us 2 million, if we write the sum? They going to look at it and count it, aren't they? Basically, its another way for them to trick us,” said a protester.
The former employees of Kentron Makrutyun fear that they will be treated like the Nairit factory workers, that the company will respond to them saying that it is impossible for them to pay the workers' until the company’s property is sold.
Note, that Kentron Makrutyun company was dissolved on December 1, 2014, while the company’s 315 workers were informed about the news on December 20.