Epress.am News from Armenia
205 workers of the “Grand Textile” factory in Ijevan—labor migrants from India—blocked the town’s interstate road on August 6 to protest their harsh working conditions. The protest was immediately dispersed by police, but the strike persisted for six more days.
During the strike, workers released a video appeal in Hindi that went viral in India, prompting the Indian Embassy to intervene. In the video—filmed inside the factory warehouse—workers are seen holding their passports above their heads, demanding three months’ worth of unpaid wages.
“The owner forces us to work harder, sew faster, pointing a gun at us. But he doesn’t pay our salaries. We went to the Indian Embassy, but they didn’t help. We went to the police three days ago, but they didn’t help either. We just want our salaries and to return home,” one worker says.
On August 11, a representative from the Indian Embassy arrived at the factory to negotiate with the management. Journalists and human rights observers were barred from entering the facility, which is surrounded by security fences, cameras, and guards.
An anonymous striker inside the factory told Epress.am that the director promised to repay the wage debt within two days, increase salaries by $50 within 20 days, and cease the use of firearms to intimidate workers.
The “Grand Textile” factory operates in a repurposed Soviet-era department store. Workers both live and work on-site, under continuous surveillance—more than 40 cameras are installed throughout the premises. They are forbidden from going out late, forming romantic relationships, drinking alcohol, or visiting central cafés in Ijevan, among other restrictions.
Working conditions are also grueling: at least 10 hours at the sewing machine per day, with one hour-long break and two short coffee breaks. According to the workers, when production targets aren’t met, management resorts to threats and even brandishes weapons.
“They have five guns. If you sew slowly, they pull out a weapon and say: ‘Շուշուտ կարի’ [‘Sew faster,’ in Armenian]. That’s the only Armenian phrase we all know,” said one worker.
During negotiations, the administration reportedly promised to reduce daily production quotas—from five to three or four full uniforms per worker—and to end all forms of intimidation. Management claims that workers currently earn $400 per month. According to contracts, the company is also obligated to cover workers’ medical costs—something it has failed to do thus far.
Despite their concerns, the workers agreed to the settlement, fearing the company might not honor its promises once media attention fades. Two days later, wages were repaid—but the promised raise has yet to materialize.
“The Indian Embassy representative told us, ‘If they don’t fulfill the promise, call me directly.’ We did that today, on August 25. He told us to wait two more days,” a worker told Epress.am via phone.
This is not the first time “Grand Textile” has faced complaints over labor violations. According to human rights defender Gevorg Kotandjian, in 2022 a group of Indian workers escaped the factory and filed a complaint with the police, prompting a criminal investigation on suspicion of human trafficking. The workers relocated to the “Gloria” factory in Vanadzor. After recovering their unpaid wages, they left Armenia. The case was later closed, officially “due to a lack of complainants”—meaning no complainants remained in the country to testify. Testimonies from remaining workers were reportedly disregarded by police.