Yerevan Vice Mayor appeals to prosecutor general over bus drivers' strike

YEREVAN, December 3. /ARKA/. Yerevan Vice Mayor Suren Grigoryan stated at a press conference that the mayor's office has no plans to enter into negotiations with the protesting bus drivers who have been on strike since this morning.

"There are no negotiations taking place at the moment. We have outlined their responsibilities and the consequences of their actions – no one is being held there against their will or forced to work," he said.

Grigoryan noted that the Labor Code allows for the dismissal of an employee in cases of loss of trust, especially when financial damage occurs. In light of the ongoing situation, it was decided to apply the most severe penalty provided by the Labor Code – dismissal. He also did not rule out further dismissals, in addition to the 18 drivers who have already been suspended.

Moreover, Grigoryan stated that he had contacted the Prosecutor General’s Office to initiate a preliminary investigation into potential legal violations by the strikers.

"We do not play games with such matters. There are proper procedures for addressing issues, and this cannot come at the expense of citizens. We will use all the necessary measures, firstly, to resolve this situation as quickly as possible, and secondly, to ensure that no one even thinks of repeating this in the future," Grigoryan said.

At the same time, the Vice Mayor reported that before the press conference, he was informed that some of the drivers had ended their strike and returned to work, and the shortage of workers was being addressed by drivers on reserve.