The new Labor Code should become the basis for returning veterans to their jobs after the war.

The new Labor Code of Ukraine must take into account not only economic realities, but also the challenges of the post-war reconstruction of the state. This includes protecting workers' rights, integrating veterans into labor collectives, and creating modern labor rules that will meet Ukraine's European course.

Ukraine is preparing to update its labor legislation. The current Labor Code was adopted by the Soviet authorities in 1971. Despite numerous changes, it does not meet the modern realities of the labor market, the challenges of the war, and the state's course towards European integration. That is why the authorities are working on a new edition of the Labor Code, which should determine the rules of labor relations in post-war Ukraine. What this document should be and why it directly concerns Ukrainian military personnel and veterans, read in the material UNN.

Work on the new edition of the Labor Code has been ongoing for several years. The draft document was developed by a team from the Ministry of Economy in partnership with business, trade unions, the scientific community, and international partners. Currently, the document has already passed the approval stage in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and the relevant committees of the Verkhovna Rada - on education, science, and innovation, as well as on environmental policy and nature management - supported its adoption as a basis.

The relevant parliamentary committee on social policy and protection of veterans' rights, the Ombudsman of Ukraine Dmytro Lubinets, the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine as a party representing the interests of employees, as well as representatives of employers, are involved in further discussion and finalization of the new Labor Code, because it is the new code that should determine the balance of relations between employees and businesses in post-war Ukraine.

It is not just a matter of technically updating an outdated document or bringing Ukrainian legislation into line with European standards. In essence, the new Labor Code should become the foundation of a post-war state model. It will determine how protected an employee will feel, what guarantees veterans will have after returning from the front, and whether the state will be able to provide fair working conditions for people who have gone through the war. The head of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, Serhiy Byzov, believes that the new Labor Code should become one of the basic elements of Ukraine's post-war recovery, and its norms should take into account the reality of a country where the war affected everyone.

Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine Serhiy Bizov, forum “Labor Market for the Economy of the Future: Updating the Labor Legislation of Ukraine”

“If we want to decommunize the Labor Code, then it should definitely not be worse than the previous one. The Labor Code itself is the foundation of the post-war period. Today, our Motherland is defended to a greater extent by workers. Because since the beginning of the war, they either put on uniforms and enlisted, or were drafted. It is obvious that the social adaptation of veterans will take place precisely in labor collectives, in those workplaces where soldiers will return after service. We advocate updating the Labor Code. But not at the expense of working people. The war is truly a people's war for you and me today. There is a defender from every family, from every labor collective,” Serhiy Bizov noted live on the Noviny.Live TV channel.

The FPU emphasizes that the trade union movement supports the modernization of labor legislation, but opposes the narrowing of workers' rights. In particular, the FPU previously stated the inadmissibility of weakening the right to strike, introducing a lockout, limiting the ability of workers to defend their rights in court, and narrowing social guarantees.

The position of the trade unions is that the new Labor Code should not only comply with European standards, but also take into account the context of a country that is going through a full-scale war and must now prepare for the return of Ukrainian military personnel to civilian life.

Serhiy Bizov emphasizes that it is labor collectives that will become one of the main environments for post-war adaptation of veterans. People who are fighting today will return to their workplaces tomorrow - to schools, factories, hospitals, the transport sector, state institutions and private business. And not only economic stability, but also the social stability of the state after the war will depend on what the rules of labor relations will be.

Therefore, the issue of the new Labor Code today goes far beyond parliamentary discussions or specialized committees. In essence, it is a question of what post-war Ukraine will be like - a state of cheap labor without proper guarantees or a country that values ​​working people and those who defended it on the front lines from the Russian invader.