YEREVAN. – The Prime Minister of Armenia, Hovik Abrahamyan, on Thursday promised the current and former employees of Nairit chemical rubber plant of capital city of Yerevan—who demand their unpaid salaries and have assembled outside the Government Building on the same day—to give a clear answer, with respect to a timetable for the payment of their wages, after receiving the results of the World Bank audit being conducted at Nairit.

Plant worker Zhora Hovhannisyan, who had participated in the talk with the PM, told the above-said to reporters.

“The PM said the World Bank will complete the audit within two days, and then on April 17, he will receive us again,” Hovhannisyan specifically noted.

In his words, the Premier had added that they are attempting to sell the piping of a section in Nairit, and the proceeds to be received from this transaction will enable to pay several months of the overdue wages.

The Nairit workers, however, were dissatisfied with this response of the PM, and they pledged to continue their daily protests, and even take drastic measures.

To note, Ruling Republican Party of Armenia National Assembly (NA) Faction member Vardan Ayvazyan, who is also Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, likewise received some Nairit workers on the same day. The plant employees will need to submit a clear timetable for the payment of their salary debts, and written requirements with respect to reactivating Nairit.

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 have assembled outside the Government Building and the Office of the President numerous times, and demanded a solution to their salary-related problems.