Armenia: cement factory workers refuse to unblock road

The workers of the "Ararat Cement" Factory, who received dismissal notifications, have demanded to meet the owner of the company, the MP Gagik Tsarukyan.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 15, the workers of the "Ararat Cement" Factory blocked the road to the enterprise, demanding from their bosses not to lay off about 1200 factory workers. A board member said that the factory was losing, and layoffs were inevitable.

Factory workers continue blocking the road, the "1in.am" portal reports.

Aik Aikyan, Mayor of the city of Ararat, came to meet the protesters, stating that the city authorities are supporting them. He finds it important to preserve the factory workplaces.

"Layoffs will negatively affect the social situation of the city, since the cement factory is the only source of income for most citizens," said the Mayor.

The factory product is able to compete with Iranian cement, if the imported clinker (the product used in cement production, – note of the "Caucasian Knot") is duly taxed, said Manuk Arakelyan, Director of the "Ararat Cement" Factory.

He has explained that the prime cost of clinker is lower than the cement imported from Iran; and in such conditions it is unprofitable to provide jobs for over a thousand factory workers.