The Committee on Social Policy and Labour held the Hearings to discuss the Draft Labour Code of Ukraine

13 October 2011, 11:35

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Committee chairman Vasyl Khara opened the hearings, and reminded that the government submitted the draft Labour Code in the end of August, 2003, it being adopted in the first reading on December 11, 2003. in 2004, the committee set up a working group to adjust the draft to the second reading.   

 

V. Khara explained why the process of drafting took so much time. Thus, only in December 2010 did the parliamentarians receive conclusions of the International Labor Organization. All parties of social partnership and experts discussed not only clauses of the draft but also separate chapters, items, and paragraphs.

 

V. Khara reminded that supplementation of the Labour Code was discussed at the parliamentary hearings "On Implementation of the European Social Charter (Revised) in Ukraine" and "On the State of Industrial Safety and Labour Protection." In the result of the discussion, the Verkhovna Rada was recommended to adopt the draft Labour Code in the second reading.

 

People´s Deputies of Ukraine, representatives of the central executive power bodies, trade union organizations, employers, and scholars discussed the draft Labour Code. The speakers emphasized that the draft Labour Code sets the fundamental principles and mechanisms of implementation of labor rules and guarantees for workers envisaged by the Constitution of Ukraine; arranges appropriate labour conditions; protects employees´ and employers´ interests in the framework of market economy. The draft adopts a comprehensive approach to the solution of social-labor issues, codification and unification of legislative acts on labour matters, and incorporation of their norms into the draft.

 

The participants of the hearings declared that the draft Labour Code had been discussed almost in all regions of Ukraine at the off-site meetings of the committee, seminars, round-table discussions, and other events. Although three parties of the social dialogue coordinated the provisions of the legislative act, in September 2011, the Ministry of Social Policy recommended the committee to scrutinize more than 240 amendments to the comparative table of the bill. Having thoroughly analyzed the suggested amendments, the participants of the hearings drew attention to the inconformity of the amendments, and resolved not to introduce them to the draft Labour Code.

 

In the result of the discussion, committee chairman Vasyl Khara stated that the draft Labour Code is going to be finalized, as it received positive opinion of the International Labour Organization. Moreover, it balanced interests of the state, trade unions, and employers.

 

The committee adopted the recommendations of the hearings, and addressed the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with a request to facilitate scrutiny of the draft Labour Code and adopt it in entirety.