YEREVAN. – The outstanding salaries of the former employees of Nairit Chemical Factory—in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan—will be paid once these workers sign an agreement on waiving the penalties.

Nairit former Press Secretary Anush Harutyunyan told the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am. She added that the employees will sign this document, whereupon the plant management is required to begin the payment of their due wages.

“By signing, we will receive solely the principal amount,” she added.

Harutyunyan expressed the view, however, that the Nairit management is just attempting to buy time by proposing this agreement.

The Nairit ex-spokesperson stated that this document has no legal force, and therefore the plant workers can appeal to court, once the wage arrears are paid, and say they were forced to sign this agreement.

The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Yervand Zakharyan, had recently met with a group of former employees of Nairit. He had told them there was a discussion with the President and the Prime Minister on the Nairit issue, and upon the President’s instruction, the wage debts shall be paid by no later than Wednesday, July 15.

A total of 1,700 Nairit workers were formally discharged as of February 6. At this point, the total debt of Nairit chemical rubber plant—which no longer operates—amounts to 102 billion drams (approx. $215,184,825). Around $15 million of these arrears are the 18 to 24 months of unpaid wages of the plant employees.

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.