ArmInfo. The state will strengthen control over the implementation of the requirements of the labor legislation of Armenia. The RA National Assembly at the meeting on December 4 in the second and final reading introduced amendments and additions to the Labor Code and the Code of Administrative Offenses.
According to the co-author of the presented document, MP of the National Assembly, Eriknaz Tigranyan, as a result of the reform of the system of inspection bodies launched as a pilot program in 2013, the state has lost control over the scope of compliance by employers with labor laws. In particular, as a result of the 34th article of the Labor Code, which was no longer in force, the state did not control such regimes as observance of work, rest, payroll, etc. . Meanwhile, international conventions to which Armenia has acceded require tight control in this area. As amended, the state will restore full control over the implementation of labor legislation, which is assigned to the labor and health inspection. Non-state control is also provided, which is assigned to the Union of employers and representative bodies. With the adoption of the package, workers will have the opportunity to judicially and administratively assert their violated rights, which they have been deprived of since 2013.
In turn, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Arman Udumyan noted that the government does not object to the presented document. The only exception concerns the start date for the application of the package presented. The Cabinet of Ministers proposes to set a deadline from July 1, 2020, so that the labor and health inspection body can adapt to increase the volume of work, both in terms of institutional and professional capabilities. Under the new conditions, it is unlikely that the inspection body for labor and health will be able to work optimally, and the period from July 1, 2020 is the period that will allow this issue to be resolved. The availability of qualified inspectors will be of particular importance, which will require intensive refresher courses from six months to one year. The solution to this problem will be carried out with the participation of donors with whom consultations have already begun, and there is a preliminary agreement. In order to achieve this goal, it will be necessary to attract 80 inspectors with a total preliminary budget of 400 million drams. In 2020, the amount of funding will be specified. The deputy minister also announced the start of the development of a road map for reforming the system of inspection bodies. To this end, a working group will be created to deal with this issue.