The dismissed employees of the Nairit Plant have gathered outside the government building on March 3 demanding Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan to submit an exact schedule of paying the arrears of wages.
The picketers say they will be waiting for a meeting with the prime minister till 4:00pm. If the prime minister refuses to receive them, the people threaten to sit on a hunger strike outside the government building and the president's administration.
To recall, 1,700 employees of Nairit Plant were fired on Feb 6. A total of 478 employees remain at the Plant now.
Nairit Plant has been idle since April 2010. The Plant's shares were given as security against the CIS InterStateBank's 70 mln USD loan provided in 2006 for 5 years - till late Dec 2011 - at 12.5% p.a. In 2006, 90% of Nairit Plant's shares were sold to Rhinoville Property Limited (UK). The latter owns an 89,999% stake in the plant, Armenian Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources - 4,496%, Gazprom Armenia CJSC (previously ArmRusgasprom) - 3,596%, and Yerevan Thermal Power Plant - 1,907%.