Sotk mine drivers in Armenia go on strike

Employees of the Sotk mine have blocked roads, demanding a fixed salary and paying off the debts. In its turn, the "GeoProMining Gold" Company treats the complaints as unjustified and threatened to send the entire collective to unpaid leave.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in November 2020, the workers of the Sotk gold deposit were not allowed to go to work in connection with negotiations on splitting the mine territory. A part of the mine is located in the Gegarkunik Region of Armenia, the other part was in Nagorno-Karabakh, and now is in the territory of the Kelbadjar District of Azerbaijan. The company that operates the deposit found itself in a forced outage. Residents of the nearby villages who work at the mine do not believe that they will be able to work there any further.

About 40 drivers are blocking the road and railway to the mine. They demand from the company bosses to switch over to a fixed salary in the amount of 500,000 drams (about USD 957), and also claim that the company owes them salaries for four months, the "Sputnik-Armenia" reports.

In its turn, the "GeoProMining Gold" Company asserts that workers' complaints about non-payment of salaries for four months have no grounds.

The mine employees have been receiving part of their salaries for several months, Tagui Tovmasyan, an Armenian MP, has written in her Facebook.

The company reported that in January, 268 mine workers were sent to unpaid leave; and in March Ms Tovmasyan announced the dismissal of 300 workers.