Armenian army servicemen to be granted right to trade union  membership 

ArmInfo. Servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces will be granted the right to join trade unions. At its November 4 session, the National Assembly Committee on Labor and Social Affairs approved the first reading of amendments to the laws "On Trade Unions" and "On Military Service and the Status of Servicemen" submitted by the Armenian government.

Presenting the amendments, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social  Affairs David Khachatryan noted that, based on an appeal by the RA  Human Rights Defender, the Constitutional Court declared  unconstitutional several provisions of the Law "On Trade Unions,"  which establish an absolute ban on trade union membership for  military personnel. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs received  a letter from the Prime Minister's Office demanding the  implementation of the Constitutional Court's decision. Taking the  above into account, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs,  together with the Ministry of Defense, has developed a package of  bills that lift the membership restriction for military personnel in  the Armenian Armed Forces. Furthermore, a similar restriction will  also be lifted for employees of the police, the National Security  Service, the prosecutor's office, court judges, and the  Constitutional Court.

The Deputy Minister also announced the development of a new law "On  Trade Unions," which will be submitted to parliament for  consideration.