Armenian Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan addressed the protest of employees at "Zangezour Copper-Molybdenum Combine" (ZCMC) CJSC during the press briefing held on February 6. The protest, which started on January 31, involves workers demanding a salary increase and improvements in their working conditions. Both ZCMC CJSC and its trade union have described the workers' actions as "illegal."
"Naturally, we are concerned because if the leader of Armenia's industry does not operate for a week, it will clearly affect economic indicators and tax revenue collection. In this regard, the ideal situation for us would be for the factory and mining complex to resume operations as soon as possible. This issue is in the domain of the company’s management, the trade union, and the employees. I have seen the trade union's statement, which differs from the protesters' views. These are issues for which I currently do not have enough information, as I am not responsible for resolving them," Gevorg Papoyan noted.
February 06, 2025 at 16:27