YEREVAN. – The employees of Nairit chemical rubber plant of Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, and who demand their unpaid salaries, are also demanding to be temporarily exempt from making public utility payments.

The Nairit workers, who on Saturday assembled outside the Office of the President, announced the aforesaid.

“When they give [us] our debts, then we will make the [public utility] payments. Since they haven’t given us money, how can we pay [the public utility fees]?” plant worker Gayane Mkhitaryan said.

The Nairit employees, who demand setting a clear timetable for the payment of their overdue salaries, also said they will continue assembling outside the presidential palace and the government building on a regular basis.

As reported earlier, a total of 1,700 Nairit workers were formally discharged as of February 6. The 18 to 24 months of unpaid wages of the employees of Nairit chemical rubber plant, which no longer operates, total Armenian drams equivalent to approximately $15 million. The workers had assembled outside the Government Building and the Office of the President numerous times and demanded a solution to their problems.