Today, the journalists of Kapan who had an appointment with the CEO of the Dino Gold Mining Company and had gone to interview him went through a strict check outside the company. The respective workers informed at the entrance that they should test the journalists’ intoxication level, only after which they would be allowed to enter. We found out on the spot that those were the rules of the company and they were followed not only by the company workers, but also outsiders. We found out from CEO Ilya Garkov on the spot that he also went through that procedure every day. Mr. Garkov stated that the rules of procedure at the company were mandatory for all workers of Dino Gold and everyone who had nothing to do with the company, but who wanted to enter the company. And in response to a question of journalists whether there was any need for that and what the reason for that was, at the end of the day, there were no such strict rules in any other industrial companies functioning in Syunik, the company official said that such rules were not enforced not only in Syunik, but in the whole republic, their company was the only one that had adopted that procedure. “There is a need for that. This doesn’t mean at all that we are against our workers’ drinking, it is their personal life. One of our fundamental values is security, the second one is treating people with respect, i.e. treating them equally, which is one of the fundamental values of the Canadian Dundee Precious Metals company. If a person enters our territory, he breathes the same air he is under the same risk and everyone, even I and our workers should not be without helmet and glasses, the result is that people feel more comfortable, more secure, it decreases the number of accidents and they think so outside the company too. For example, if my child went to a doctor, I wouldn’t like, if the doctor examining him was drunk, that is the reason, why if someone enters our territory – s/he is also someone’s son, wife or brother – I don’t have any right to put his/her life in jeopardy. In industry, in industrial companies, people, workers are more informed and it is less risky for them and the outsiders don’t have such knowledge as a rule and are not informed, therefore, they are in more danger,” explained Ilya Garkov and expressed a conviction that the procedure would yield results, as it had yielded a positive result in an Australian company, where he had worked before, although much time would be required for that.
Meri Soghomonyan
