Protests Against the Optimization of Government Departments Taking Place Right Now

Employees of the Ministry of Culture are on strike in front of the ministry's building.

The workers are protesting against the optimization/merger of ministries. They have prepared a petition addressed to Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The employees complain that nobody informed them about the optimization plans.

“We received a letter only yesterday stating that part of the ministry will merge with the Ministry of Education and the other part with the Urban Development Committee,” said one participant of the protest.

The workers insist that there has been no professional or public discussion on the matter.

“I don’t know who made these decisions and how. How can such an important agency be closed?” noted one protester.

It is worth mentioning that employees from other departments are also present at the protest.

In particular, an employee from the Ministry of Diaspora emphasized that the functions of their department are very important and that the ministry's dissolution will lead to new demographic issues.