Numerous staff members, officials of culture and Diaspora ministries declare strike, protest governmental optimization plan

Numerous staff members of the Ministry of Diaspora and Ministry of Culture are on strike, protesting the optimization plan of the government that envisages merging the culture ministry with the ministry of education and science, and the Diaspora ministry will become be downgraded to a department under the foreign ministry.

Diaspora ministry officials protesting outside the ministry building near Republic Square in Yerevan claim that the ministry is fulfilling all its functions duly. They argue that their functions are not the same as the foreign ministry’s functions. They also have fears of losing their jobs as a result of the ministry’s dissolution.

Staff of the culture ministry oppose merging with the education and science ministry. They say that culture is Armenia’s visiting card, and therefore the ministry of culture should be given broad authority and resources to preserve culture and to create a society developed on national system of values.

The protesting staff of the ministries walked towards the governmental headquarters in Republic Square and are planning to convey a letter to caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The protestors argue that dissolving or merging the ministries at once is wrong. They suggest examining and analyzing the functions of each staff member, make assessments, and then only make optimizations.