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NUCLEAR POWER STATION WORKERS REFUSE TO WORK
A1+
[05:52 pm] 24 February, 2009
Nearly 200 workers of the Metsamor nuclear power station gathered
in front of the RA Energy Ministry building today demanding a 50%
salary increase. Five hundred on-duty workers are even ready to file
a complaint and leave their jobs if the demands are not met.
The nuclear power station administration has told workers that it is
not able to raise the salaries because the station is not receiving
any income.
"There is no such thing. They purchase energy from us for 6.2 drams
per kilowatt an hour and sell it for 25 drams. This means that they
are getting huge profits. The price for energy at the station ranges
from 9-10 drams. As far as I know, energy prices go up by 30 drams
during the day and 20 drams at night starting April 1. It turns out
that that is not going to have an impact on our salaries, but we will
be paying more for energy," says worker Ara Gevorgyan.
Worker Nerses Avetisyan stressed that people working in poor conditions
must be taken care of by the state and must receive high salaries,
but that is not the case.
Six workers formed a group today to try to meet with Energy Minister
Armen Movsisyan who met with them and held talks for nearly two hours.
Participants of the meeting informed that they came to an agreement
to discuss and solve the issue of raising salaries by 10-15 percent
by March 27. The station workers were disappointed because they were
demanding a 50% increase and decided to go to the Prime Minister as
well. Energy Minister Gagik Markosyan was trying to calm them down and
convince them to go home, but the workers went to the Prime Minister
anyway. But they were rejected there as well due to the fact that
the government shares the opinion of the ministry.
A1+
[05:52 pm] 24 February, 2009
Nearly 200 workers of the Metsamor nuclear power station gathered
in front of the RA Energy Ministry building today demanding a 50%
salary increase. Five hundred on-duty workers are even ready to file
a complaint and leave their jobs if the demands are not met.
The nuclear power station administration has told workers that it is
not able to raise the salaries because the station is not receiving
any income.
"There is no such thing. They purchase energy from us for 6.2 drams
per kilowatt an hour and sell it for 25 drams. This means that they
are getting huge profits. The price for energy at the station ranges
from 9-10 drams. As far as I know, energy prices go up by 30 drams
during the day and 20 drams at night starting April 1. It turns out
that that is not going to have an impact on our salaries, but we will
be paying more for energy," says worker Ara Gevorgyan.
Worker Nerses Avetisyan stressed that people working in poor conditions
must be taken care of by the state and must receive high salaries,
but that is not the case.
Six workers formed a group today to try to meet with Energy Minister
Armen Movsisyan who met with them and held talks for nearly two hours.
Participants of the meeting informed that they came to an agreement
to discuss and solve the issue of raising salaries by 10-15 percent
by March 27. The station workers were disappointed because they were
demanding a 50% increase and decided to go to the Prime Minister as
well. Energy Minister Gagik Markosyan was trying to calm them down and
convince them to go home, but the workers went to the Prime Minister
anyway. But they were rejected there as well due to the fact that
the government shares the opinion of the ministry.