Yerevan Municipality: Today`s bus drivers` strike is directly linked to their unwillingness to lose shadow turnover

ArmInfo. Today's bus  drivers' strike in Yerevan Municipality is directly linked to their  unwillingness to lose shadow turnover present in the public transport  sector. Vice- Mayor of Yerevan Suren Grigoryan expressed this view  during a specially convened press conference on December 3.   Specifically, he stated that today's action is a response to the  municipality's reform to implement a single ticket system, aiming to  eradicate shadow turnover completely.

said the vice-mayor.  At the same time, he noted that on average, we are talking about a  daily shadow turnover of 5 million drams, which no one wants to lose.  , this is just a form of  blackmail. A strike is a legal process,> said Grigoryan.

He noted that under the law, a 14  day advance notice is required for  a strike in the public transport sector.  According to Grigoryan, the  mayor's office hasn't received any malicious messages. He emphasized  that the strikers had to provide at least minimal conditions to  prevent disruption to the public. Grigoryan refused to call today's  action a strike, noting that it is only an attempt to exert pressure  on the city authorities and generate public discontent in hopes of  reaching a compromise with the mayor's office.