ARF Criticizes Government Efforts to Weaken Legal Protection for Workers

YEREVAN — Armenian opposition politicians and civil rights activists have expressed concern over a government plan to weaken protect for Armenian workers in the country’s labor laws, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported earlier last week.
The National Assembly passed a package of government-drafted amendments to the labor code in the first reading last week. They would allow for verbal employment contracts and the formation of employee associations that could presumably overturn decisions made by labor unions.
The amendments would also loosen provisions regulating compensation for overtime and overnight work. The government has admitted the changes largely respond to the wishes of entrepreneurs.
Armenia’s current labor code includes strong worker protections. Nevertheless, businesses have been accused of flouting rules prohibiting the arbitrary dismissal of workers.
Parliament deputy Artsvik Minasian, from the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), said at a roundtable on the issue that the labor package shows “that employers’ interests are taking precedence over employees’ interests.”
Minasian, a trained economist, specifically objected to provisions allowing the existence of alternative labor groups, saying they represent a threat to unions.
“Show me a place where [unions] have protected workers’ interests,” Hayrapetian said. “We are trying to create competition so that they establish themselves. They don’t want to establish themselves right now.”
Meri Khachatrian, a lawyer at the Armenian Center For Human Rights Protection, said she opposes the introduction of verbal contracts between employers and employees. She said that would make it easier for entrepreneurs to cheat and arbitrarily fire workers.