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On June 4 the RA NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs by the assistance of the “Support Program of the National Assembly of Armenia” being financed by the USAID in the Erato Hall of the Armenia Marriott hotel organized parliamentary hearings on the theme “The Guarantees of the Activity of the Trade Unions.”

NA deputies,, representatives of the trade unions and human rights NGOs, members of the staff of the Human Rights Defender were taking part in the hearings.

The Committee Chair proposed the participants to submit in written form the recommendations, which would become as a basis to improve the legislation regulating the sphere, or if necessary, elaborate other bills.

The RA Human Rights Defender Karen Andreasyan in his report began with strict evaluations and noted that we should change the essence of the trade union, making it a law enforcement organization.

The RA Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Araik Petrosyan didn’t agree with the views of the Human Rights Defender, saying that we need time for the establishment of the sphere. The Chairman of the Republican Union of the Trade Organizations of the Trade Union Confederation of Armenia Edward Tumasyan also didn’t agree with Karen Andreasyan, and deemed as main reasons of the weakening of the sphere the lack of competitiveness, the citizen’s fear of losing job, the lack of legal knowledge.

The Chairman of the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia Gagik Makaryan delivered a speech on the development of the sphere and noted that the organization led by him worked out a program, which was aimed at the development of the trade unions.

The representative of the Armenian Center of A. Sakharov Protection of Human Rights Mery Khachatryan, the representative of the Branch Trade Union of the Education and Science Employees Elen Mansaeryan, representatives of the NGOs and trade unions delivered speeches.

During the exchange of thoughts the representatives if the trade unions, human rights NGOs touched upon the problems of the system and presented their recommendations and views.