Government raises minimum wage by $6, opposition calls such rise “mockery=?UTF-8?B?4oCd?=

The Armenian parliament on Thursday passed in the first reading a bill amending the law "On the minimum monthly salary."

Under the new legislation, from January 1, 2013 the minimum wage will be 35,000 drams (about $86) per month instead of the current 32,500 drams (a rise by about $6).

Only 65 members of the 131-seat body (all representing the two coalition parties) voted for the legislation, with seven voting against it and 25 members abstaining. Almost all factions of the parliament said that a rise by 2,500 drams will not change anything in the wallets of citizens, even though Minister of Finance Vache Gabrielyan said that this money still would count in people's "consumer basket".  Read more... (581 words)

Armenian News