Protest to be held outside parliament against government plans to cut maternity benefits
A group of citizens will be holding a protest outside the National Assembly on Monday against the draft amendments to the Law On temporary disability benefits. The protest starts at 1 p.m. At 2:30 p.m., The National Assembly is to hold hearings on controversial the bill. The members of the initiative will participate in the discussion and express their viewpoints. Protests demanding a refrain from amending the system of pregnancy benefits were held in front of the Armenian government later last week. The draft amendments provide reduction in benefits for working women since 2015, depending on their seniority. The government bill submitted to the parliament this month would cut their amount by at least 20 percent. It says in particular that pregnant women with work experience of up to 1 and 3 years would be paid sums equivalent to only 40 percent and 60 percent of their wages respectively. The upper limit restrictions are also established, according to which the amount of issued maternity allowance shouldn’t exceed fivefold of the minimum salary. The protesters claim that the bill is in violation with the Armenian Constitution and international laws. Besides, it violates the rights of working women and can lower birth rate in Armenia and increase migration.
