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Workers of Yerevan-based ‘Nairit’ chemical plant gathered again outside the Armenian government today, demanding repayment of their back wages. Anush Harutyunyan – a member of the group coordinating protests of Nairit staff – told Panorama.am they took a decision to suspend their rallies until late July (28th-29th of July) to wait for back wages’ repayment.

Meanwhile, plant workers will be signing agreements about the waiver of fines that are paid in case of wage arrears. But the plant workers demand that the debts of them all be paid off in a lump sum within 1-2 days.

“If our wages are not paid within ten days, I can imagine the piteous state the government will find itself in. We will all enter the prime minister’s office,” A. Harutyunyan said.

As was reported, on June 9 Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan received a group of Nairit Plant’s workers. He said that during the consultation held by the Armenian president, it was decided to find financial resources to pay Nairit staff’s back wages for recent years. The PM said that Energy Minister Yervand Zakharyan was instructed to set up a commission for calculating the wages and that the debt would be repaid by July 15.

Since late 2014 Nairit Plant workers have staged protests which are backed by some Armenian political forces. They demand repayment of their back wages for the last 4 years – a sum of 5.7 billion drams. On February 6, 2015 the plant announced 1700 lay-offs.