Armenian opposition stands against abolition of unemployment allowance

Activists of oppositional forces have strongly criticized the bill presented by the government of Armenia, aimed at abolish of the unemployment allowance. According to the opposition, this governmental initiative "undermines the ideology of a social state."

The Armenian government intends to abolish the payment of monthly unemployment allowance since January 1, 2014. The new law "On Employment" that is now considered by the MPs of the National Assembly, offers the unemployed – instead of the allowance – to get retrained and receive a new speciality. On October 23, the parliamentary majority approved the bill in the first reading.

Artsvik Minasyan, an activist of the ARF "Dashnaktsutyun", has told reporters that the government's decision to cancel the unemployment allowance is, in fact, violating the Constitution of Armenia, which declares citizens' right to get protected against such social risks like unemployment and disability.

Naira Zograbyan, a member of the Board of the "Prosperous Armenia" Party and the secretary of this party's parliamentary faction, has also spoken against the bill.

She has treated the approach of the government, under which the citizens, who receive unemployment allowances, are not willing to work, as offensive. "It turns out that the unemployed are equated to beggars," Ms Zograbyan said.