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ARMENIAN WOMEN ACTIVISTS PROTEST AGAINST CABINET'S PLANS TO CUT THE AMOUNT OF MATERNITY ALLOWANCE
YEREVAN, October 23. / ARKA /. A group of Armenian women activists
protested today outside the government building against Cabinet's
plans to cut the amount of maternity allowance, envisaged by a bill
drafted by the Social Security Service.
The bill sent already to the government's consideration expands
the number of women entitled to maternity allowance paid by the
government. More specifically, the government plans to start paying
maternity allowance also to non-working women from 2016. Under current
legislation it is paid only to working women.
The amount of allowance to non-working women is to be calculated based
on the amount of minimum monthly salary which is now 50,000 drams.
As for working women, the government wants to define the size of their
allowance based on seniority. Thus, women with one year seniority
at one workplace will be receiving an allowance in the amount of 40%
of their salary. If the seniority is 1-3 years the amount will be 60%,
and if it's more than 3 years the allowance will be 80% of salary. The
draft law sets upper limit restrictions, saying the amount can not
exceed the minimum wage five times.
"We welcome the government's decision to pay maternity allowance
also to non-working mothers, but that should not be done not at the
expense of working mothers", the activist say.
In a letter handed to government officials the women activists argue
that the move if effected will contribute to the reduction in the
number of births among working mothers, increase emigration of the
working population, as well as violate the principles of social and
gender equality. They also say this question could be resolved by
introduction of luxury tax.
According to labor and social affairs minister Artem Asatryan, about
20% of women who receive maternity allowances are enrolled 2-3 months
before delivering their babies. The minister told journalists that
when adopted the revised law will increase the number of beneficiaries
by 30,000 by 2016, which will require additional 8 billion drams.
He said the government is planning to hold parliamentary hearings on
the issue next week and revise the bill by taking into account all
the proposals.
According to the labor and social security ministry, given that by 2016
the minimum monthly salary is to rise to 80,000 drams, a non-working
woman will receive about 365,000 drams in allowances. The allowance
is paid for 140 days. The net amount will be 274,000 drams).
($ 1 - 409.40 drams). -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/society/armenian_women_activists_protest_against_cabinet_s _plans_to_cut_the_amount_of_maternity_allowance/#sthash.rxtdedGI.dpuf
From: Baghdasarian
YEREVAN, October 23. / ARKA /. A group of Armenian women activists
protested today outside the government building against Cabinet's
plans to cut the amount of maternity allowance, envisaged by a bill
drafted by the Social Security Service.
The bill sent already to the government's consideration expands
the number of women entitled to maternity allowance paid by the
government. More specifically, the government plans to start paying
maternity allowance also to non-working women from 2016. Under current
legislation it is paid only to working women.
The amount of allowance to non-working women is to be calculated based
on the amount of minimum monthly salary which is now 50,000 drams.
As for working women, the government wants to define the size of their
allowance based on seniority. Thus, women with one year seniority
at one workplace will be receiving an allowance in the amount of 40%
of their salary. If the seniority is 1-3 years the amount will be 60%,
and if it's more than 3 years the allowance will be 80% of salary. The
draft law sets upper limit restrictions, saying the amount can not
exceed the minimum wage five times.
"We welcome the government's decision to pay maternity allowance
also to non-working mothers, but that should not be done not at the
expense of working mothers", the activist say.
In a letter handed to government officials the women activists argue
that the move if effected will contribute to the reduction in the
number of births among working mothers, increase emigration of the
working population, as well as violate the principles of social and
gender equality. They also say this question could be resolved by
introduction of luxury tax.
According to labor and social affairs minister Artem Asatryan, about
20% of women who receive maternity allowances are enrolled 2-3 months
before delivering their babies. The minister told journalists that
when adopted the revised law will increase the number of beneficiaries
by 30,000 by 2016, which will require additional 8 billion drams.
He said the government is planning to hold parliamentary hearings on
the issue next week and revise the bill by taking into account all
the proposals.
According to the labor and social security ministry, given that by 2016
the minimum monthly salary is to rise to 80,000 drams, a non-working
woman will receive about 365,000 drams in allowances. The allowance
is paid for 140 days. The net amount will be 274,000 drams).
($ 1 - 409.40 drams). -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/society/armenian_women_activists_protest_against_cabinet_s _plans_to_cut_the_amount_of_maternity_allowance/#sthash.rxtdedGI.dpuf
From: Baghdasarian