WE ARE PEOPLE, NOT ANIMALS

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 13:41:04 – 10/06/2011

Today morning, the employees of Nairit chemical plant of Yerevan,
about 100 people, held a protest in front of the plant. Their action
ignored by the director of the plant Vahan Melkonyan, they walked to
the Office of the President. They have not been paid their salary for
4 months. In addition, they have learned that they are made redundant,
some of them since last year, others since the beginning of June.

Employees note that the employees who get high salaries are kept,
while others are released.

The protesters note they have not been paid even the promised bonus.

They demand from the president to pay their salaries. They say we
are people and not animals. We cannot live and support our families
without being paid for 4 months.

They say they cannot even borrow money because as soon as people
learn they are Nairit plant workers, they refuse to lend them.

Today, the head of Control Service of the president of Armenia
Hovhannes Hovsepyan received the protesters instead of the head of
president staff Karen Karapetyan, who was attending the meeting of
government, and said they will be paid within the upcoming 15 days. He
also promised that the re-operation of the plant will be discussed too.

Last November Nairit employees held protests at the office of the
president. They met with the head of president staff Karen Karapetyan
who called them “strappers”. Later on, Nairit employees were promised
to be paid but the promise was only partially fulfilled.

There are rumors that the government of Armenia is going to give the
plant to the Russians.