Tweet
Madeline Tashjian Faces Tough Questioning from Akhtala Review Panel
Larisa Paremuzyan
14:31, March 7, 2012
Several weeks ago, a number of workers at the Akhtala Mining
Enrichment Combine, sent an open letter to RA President Serzh
Sargsyan, complaining about the way the plant is being run by Madeline
Tashjian, wife of jailed American-Armenian businessman Serop
Der-Boghossian.
Yesterday, at the Lori Regional Administration, their petition was
reviewed at the behest of the RA Presidential Control Service.
Madeline Tashjian was present.
The review panel revealed that a mere 40 million AMD of the 7.5
billion AMD in revenues of Metal Price, the company that owns the
plant, was reinvested in the operation.
Akhtala Mayor Haykaz Khachikyan commented that during the past 12
years, Metal Price hasn't invested a dime of its revenues to restore
the company's social facilities.
Madeline Tashjian could only respond that she had managers working on
the problem. She did not comment on the complainants raised by the
workers nor did she have anything to say about the death of a worker
at the plant on February 25.
Five workers were present at the review and had to be helped by MP
Karen Saribekyan to succinctly and cogently convey their demands. It
appears that they were tongue-tied when appearing before Tashjian and
feared being fired if they spoke up.
They raised the large wage disparity between management and the mine
workers and the claim that their holiday pay had been miscalculated at
a loss.
At the end of the review, in response to a question raised by this
reporter, Gagik Mazmanyan, Deputy Director of the Lori Branch of the
RA State Labor Inspectorate, stated that the management of the Akhtala
Combine had violated certain of the workers' rights. In particular, he
noted safety wear, nutrition and paying those working in unsafe
laboratory working conditions the same as regular employees.
MP Saribekyan said it was unconscionable for workers to be paid
37,000-40,000 AMD per month but that the minimum wage level was
32,500.
The workers who showed up at the review believe they will eventually
be fired for speaking up. The younger ones told me that they are
thinking of heading off to Sochi when the weather warms up.
Sochi will host the 2014 Winter Olympics and they've heard that
construction is booming.
From: Baghdasarian
Larisa Paremuzyan
14:31, March 7, 2012
Several weeks ago, a number of workers at the Akhtala Mining
Enrichment Combine, sent an open letter to RA President Serzh
Sargsyan, complaining about the way the plant is being run by Madeline
Tashjian, wife of jailed American-Armenian businessman Serop
Der-Boghossian.
Yesterday, at the Lori Regional Administration, their petition was
reviewed at the behest of the RA Presidential Control Service.
Madeline Tashjian was present.
The review panel revealed that a mere 40 million AMD of the 7.5
billion AMD in revenues of Metal Price, the company that owns the
plant, was reinvested in the operation.
Akhtala Mayor Haykaz Khachikyan commented that during the past 12
years, Metal Price hasn't invested a dime of its revenues to restore
the company's social facilities.
Madeline Tashjian could only respond that she had managers working on
the problem. She did not comment on the complainants raised by the
workers nor did she have anything to say about the death of a worker
at the plant on February 25.
Five workers were present at the review and had to be helped by MP
Karen Saribekyan to succinctly and cogently convey their demands. It
appears that they were tongue-tied when appearing before Tashjian and
feared being fired if they spoke up.
They raised the large wage disparity between management and the mine
workers and the claim that their holiday pay had been miscalculated at
a loss.
At the end of the review, in response to a question raised by this
reporter, Gagik Mazmanyan, Deputy Director of the Lori Branch of the
RA State Labor Inspectorate, stated that the management of the Akhtala
Combine had violated certain of the workers' rights. In particular, he
noted safety wear, nutrition and paying those working in unsafe
laboratory working conditions the same as regular employees.
MP Saribekyan said it was unconscionable for workers to be paid
37,000-40,000 AMD per month but that the minimum wage level was
32,500.
The workers who showed up at the review believe they will eventually
be fired for speaking up. The younger ones told me that they are
thinking of heading off to Sochi when the weather warms up.
Sochi will host the 2014 Winter Olympics and they've heard that
construction is booming.
From: Baghdasarian