2. General Information on Trade Unions of Armenia 2.1. Historical outline The first TUs in Armenia were founded in 1905-07. In 1905, a TU of house-workers was established in Yerevan. In 1906, TUs of tanners(Yerevan), railway workers(Aleksandrapol, Kars), workers of copper mines(Alaverdi), printers, workers of bakery-plants, postal and telegram officials(Yerevan) were formed. On February 6, 1921, the Council of Trade Unions of Armenia(CoTUA) was founded at the first TU conference in Yerevan. In 1951, the Labor Code of the Soviet Socialistic Republic of Armenia stipulated a number of rights for TUs 7 . TUs were presenting interests of workers and officials in the spheres of industry, labor, consuming and culture. They were implementing monitoring and supervision over the preservation of labor legislation and labor defense rules, supervising domestic services for workers and officials, managing social insurance, sanatoriums, after-work sanatoriums and rest houses, cultural and educational, touristic and sport facilities, children(pioneer) camps etc. As respondents mention: “Social insurance and pension issues were regulated by TUs. As fees for social insurance were collected by TUs, people could be provided with rest house vouchers, apartments, cars etc…”. 8 “Based on medical treatment and disability documents sanatorium vouchers for and mandatory medical examination of workers was ensured…” It is worth noting that in the Soviet Union, TUs were formed not by workers(from the bottom), as a result of the demand to settle social issues, but by the state(from top) as an instrument of the ruling party(Communistic Party). TUs of paternalistic type were functioning within the totalitarian system, which ensured, guaranteed, defended and supervised the interests and rights of workers. Respondents also came to confirm this, whose perception of Soviet-era TUs was, first of all, the function of allocation and supervision of social benefits. “During the Soviet years the TU was the“brother” of the Communistic Party, a part of the party implementing one of its functions. This TU was carrying an image of the party”.“It was an imported system which was operating autonomously”. Moreover, it’s worth noting that membership to TUs was“a presupposed” circumstance based on“voluntary­mandatory” principle. Therefore, TUs had incomparably high number of members. The percentage of TU members among employed population was close to 100%. All employees were required to automatically become members of the TU, as there was no other structure or organization which could take over the function of defense of their interests. Thus, the“voluntary-mandatory” principle, applied until now, was established as a basis not only for individual behavior but also for the functioning of the overall TU system. Due to state allocations and membership fees, the TU became an economically powerful structure. Although in the past, payment of membership fees was also perceived ambiguously by workers, they were satisfied with receiving huge social benefits in return for the small amounts from their salaries. TUs had stable amounts and huge resources, including offices, rest houses, etc. 7 There was no law on trade unions during the Soviet Union . 8 Citations from answers of respondents are presented in quotes and are in italics. 14