SCR approves new draft collective bargaining agreement

YEREVAN, July 27, /ARKA/. The Russian-run South Caucasus Railways (SCR), operating Armenia’s railroads, said representatives of its units approved yesterday a draft collective bargaining agreement at a gathering attended by SCR CEO Victor Rebets.

Viktor Rebets was quoted as saying in a SCR press release that the company has 4000 people on its payrolls. He said since the beginning of 2008, when SCR took over the concessional management of Armenian railroads, it has repaired 162 km long tracks, replaced 260 thousand wooden sleepers, 70 switches, 49 crossings, 24 bridges, 60 km of catenary and 5 traction substations. He said the company acquired also special equipment to inspect the state of roads in order to increase their efficiency and improve their safety.

Mr. Rebets said the company invested in 2008-2011 a total of 73 billion drams in upgrading the system. Some 45.6 billion drams of that amount were channeled into the infrastructure and 27.3 billion drams into purchase o f new cars.

Mr. Rebets said the cost of per employee social benefit rose form 11,300 drams in 2008 to 28,000 drams now. Overall, SCR’s social spending amounted during this time span to 4.6 billion drams.

The participants of the gathering approved also a decision of the company employees to transfer their one-day wage to victims of a destructive flood in southern Russian Krymsk. Mr. Rebets said the company will add to this amount from its own income and send to Russia.-0-