Naira Zohrabyan: Have volunteers gone to Karabakh or sat on the sofa in their homes? (video)
During the extraordinary sitting of the Armenian National Assembly convened by the government, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Artem Asatryan presented legislative changes which supposedly will regulate labour problems of volunteers who are on the Karabakh frontline. Under the proposed changes, volunteers should not have problems with their employers, moreover no one can dismiss them while they are in Karabakh. Naira Zohrabyan, Head of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) faction, welcomed the initiative saying it is necessary to find out who has gone to Karabakh and who ‘sat on the sofa in their homes.’ “Should the person bring a certificate from the military registration and enlistment office to justify his absence or can you offer other options? Sadly, some employers claim that their employees left the country for personal reasons telling them that they had been on the frontline,” she said. Hrant Bagratyan from the Armenian National Congress (HAK) did not like the wording of the bill. “I shall refer to it in my speech,” he said. Artem Asatryan said that they would discuss all disputable issues. Lawmaker Edmon Marukyan said he had submitted proposals in written form and in a statement. “I propose that the state subsidize private companies so that they will not suffer great losses and can hire temporary employees to replace volunteers during their absence,” he said. The minister promised to consider all observations and recommendations.
