STUDY Armenien Trade Unions – Problems and Challenges TIRUHI A. NAZARETIAN TILMAN ALEXANDER BUSCH February 2017 n The legacy of Communism still strongly influences the operation and structure of Armenian trade unions. As a result, they are unable to defend workers‘ rights in an or­ganised, efficient manner. Collective agreements exist only in individual companies. n There is no active discussion or collaboration between trade unions and political parties. In addition, trade union representatives are rarely involved in public debates on socio-political issues. As a result, they have little to no influence over policy and reform. n One result of privatisation and the market economy since the fall of Communism is that the number of branch trade unions exceed the number of economic sectors. This means that many trade unions are in fact in competition with each other for new members. Some trade unions are struggling and have a low membership base. n Key to ensuring the Armenian trade unions future survival as modern defenders of workers‘ rights is structural reforms. They also need to establish more proactive links with civil society and political parties.