Armenia scales back maternity benefit reduction plans after protests
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 5 November 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Armenia scales back maternity benefit reduction plans after protests, 5 November 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/548ea82f16.html [accessed 26 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 05, 2014
By RFE/RL's Armenian Service
Armenia has scaled down plans to reduce maternity-leave benefits after women protested the potential cuts.
Current law stipulates that monthly maternity allowances must fully match the salaries of women employed by public or private entities.
The government initially planned to cut the payments by 20 percent to 60 percent, depending on how long the recipient has worked.
The government had said the money saved would be used to pay benefits to unemployed mothers starting in 2016.
But the plan sparked protests outside the government and parliament buildings late last month.
During hearings in parliament on November 4, Labor and Social Affairs Artem Asatrian said that under a new plan, women whose monthly salary does not exceed 1 million drams ($2,500) will not be affected, while employers will have to take care of the extra payments to those who receive higher salaries.
He said there are only 400 women in Armenia whose salaries exceed 1 million drams.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
