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The protest by employees of the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) in Armenia’s Syunik Province, which many initially viewed as an action instigated by provocateurs and former Armenian authorities, was ultimately resolved as a labor dispute between the employees and the company’s management, with the employer committing to address several key issues.

What transpired during this period? Who are the alleged provocateurs? On February 11, Armen Khachatryan, a lawmaker from the ruling Civil Contract party from Syunik, who had previously remained silent on the matter, announced the resolution of the dispute.

"I’d like to thank the ZCMC management for acknowledging the workers’ concerns and committing to address them. I hope that in the future, there will be no need for protests to raise problems related to workers' rights and interests and such matters will be resolved through institutional channels. In this context, the proper functioning of the ZCMC labor union is crucial," the MP wrote on Facebook.

Remarkably, some pro-government political figures attempted to shift the focus from a labor dispute to a conspiracy narrative.

“The crisis surrounding the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine has long gone beyond a simple strike for higher wages, turning into a test of the effectiveness of state governance, national security and economic sovereignty. It is possible that the strike is being orchestrated, with former oligarchic beneficiaries and their political and economic schemes behind the scenes. If figures from the former regime still have leverage to manipulate hundreds of employees and control processes, why didn’t the state prevent this?” Arman Babajanyan, chairman of the For the Republic Party, said in a social media post.

"500 million dollars were withdrawn from the Zangezur mine. Now I want to ask Nikol, using his own words: you were prime minister for seven years – couldn’t you figure out who took that money from the combine?" argued Norik Norikyan, chairman of the Fair Armenia Party, who had met several times with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as part of extra-parliamentary forces along with Babajanyan.

The authorities remained strangely silent during all this time. However, the behavior of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Armenia and the labor union of the mining enterprise was even more perplexing. Instead of defending workers' rights, they seemed focused on protecting business interests.

“For two days now, some ZCMC employees have refused to work. This is not a strike, as the actions did not meet the requirements of Armenia’s Labor Code regarding the organization and conduct of a strike,” President of the Confederation of Trade Unions Elen Manaseryan stated on February 2.

Interestingly, the same forces that had been searching for conspirators and provocateurs later publicly acknowledged that the dispute was indeed a labor issue and that the workers’ demands for change of the insurance provider, higher wages and better working conditions had been met.

What happened? Why did everyone change their stance? Who is behind all this? Why did the authorities, who had previously been indifferent, suddenly begin to show that they were dealing with the issue? These unanswered questions continue to fuel speculation.

In a rather unconventional approach, Suren Surenyants, chairman of the Democratic Alternative Party, which is part of the ruling bloc in Kajaran, suggested closely monitoring recent social media posts on the matter and their authors.

"Well-known circles are exploiting the social issues of ordinary workers to advance far-reaching political goals, while the Armenian government remains a passive observer. This is particularly concerning given that the government holds a 22% stake in the ZCMC," Surenyants told Panorama.am in an interview.

The fact remains that the same forces that initially fanned the flames and blamed the former authorities, later diffused the situation themselves.

In all this, the issue of institutions stands out sharply. It turns out that not only did state institutions fail to address the workers' labor rights, but also the public sector prioritized business interests over defending employees and their rights.