Epress.am News from Armenia
Members of a public initiative group in defense of the rights of employees in Armenia on temporary leave from work have sent a letter to the National Assembly, RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, and RA Minister of Labor and sSocial Affairs Artur Grigoryan with respect to amendments to the RA Law on Temporary Leave.
In the letter outlining their proposals, group members note that considering that demographic growth is part of Armenia’s foundation and the growth in birth rate must be encouraged in every way, they are proposing that all women on maternity leave (while pregnant and then, after giving birth) be compensated with the full amount of their salary, without setting a maximum limit.
“Believing that every woman [in Armenia] who gives birth first and foremost works for the Republic of Armenia and invests in the development of the Republic of Armenia, we propose to compensate all women temporarily off from work due to pregnancy and giving birth with the entire amount of their monthly salary, without the state collecting taxes and social service payments during the duration of their maternity leave, as well as calculating the allowance for pregnancy and child birth based not on the planned 140 working days but on 140 calendar days,” reads the letter, adding that not only those on maternity leave, but others on temporary leave (sick leave or those on leave for caring for a sick family member) should receive their full monthly salary, and not only a portion as is currently the case.
“We hope that the RA Government and the RA National Assembly, as a democratic structure that implements transparent management and is guided by the concerns of the Republic of Armenia and citizens of the Republic of Armenia, will take into consideration the opinion and proposals of its concerned citizens.
“Presenting the aforementioned suggestions, we expect a series of public hearings to commence the last week of January and the swift discussion and the adoption of the amended version of the law at the RA National Assembly spring 2011 session with the retroactive application of the principle in force,” noted group members, adding that they, as citizens who want to live and work in Armenia and who are concerned with its present and future, promise to continue to monitor the process of making amendments to the RA Law on Temporary Leave Benefits insofar as the provisions of the law violate their rights and jeopardize the future of the state.