Strike in Alaverdi: ‘Cottoni’ Employees Demand Payment of Salaries

On December 27, a strike began at the sewing workshop owned by ‘Cottoni’ LLC in Alaverdi over unpaid wages, which is being continued by 150 female workers as of yesterday. The women claim that their employer, Karen Dasoyan, is unnecessarily delaying their salary payments. The workers believe they have performed their duties well. This information has been reported by Hetq.am.

“He doesn’t pay salaries; he deceives us. Last Sunday, he told us he would pay on Friday, and when we called him today about our salaries, he arrived in Alaverdi four hours later. Now he just looks at all the women and laughs,” said Syuzanna Martirosyan.

It is noteworthy that 50 percent of ‘Cottoni’ LLC shares belong to businessman Karen Dasoyan from Vanadzor. The remaining 50 percent is owned by Russian citizen Yanina Berg Borisovna, who is the mother of Kristina Mitelman, the owner and director of the Moscow-registered ‘Modelismo’ company, which is the primary client of the Alaverdi sewing workshop.

The striking workers have reported that last Sunday, they invited director Karen Dasoyan to the workshop and demanded payment for their November salaries. The sewing workshop began operations on November 11, and therefore, the workers were demanding 17 days of wages from their employer. According to Syuzanna Martirosyan and the other workers, they still have not signed any employment contract with Dasoyan since starting work 1.5 months ago. Initially, Dasoyan did not specify the amount of salary, stating that it was a probation period with a minimum wage offer. The workers learned from media reports that the expected salary was between 80,000 to 150,000 AMD.

On behalf of all the workers, Syuzanna Martirosyan announced that if Dasoyan intends to pay them out of charity, then all 150 workers agree to leave that salary as charity as well and inform the entire public about it.

“We will not allow ourselves to be worked hard while they benefit from it. It has been exactly one week that all the women in the workshop have been under stress,” Syuzanna Martirosyan stated. According to her, Dasoyan informed the workers that they would only receive an 80,000 AMD salary after sewing 250,000 AMD worth of children's clothing.

“We lack sewing machines and irons at the workshop; the employer hasn’t provided us with the needed machines and irons. People have brought eight irons and ironing boards from home to be able to work. Now that there is work, we are here again, rushed to work. Who would have known we would be entering into such an agreement?” said Syuzanna Martirosyan.

According to Gayane Margaryan, when Karen Dasoyan recruited them, he said he would initially pay the minimum wage set in Armenia, and later, when “everything is settled,” he would pay them the appropriate salary for their work. “As long as everything in the workshop is not in order, Dasoyan is obligated to pay us all an equal minimum wage,” Gayane demanded.

For further details, refer to the original source.