The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine may consider and approve a new wording of the Labour code before the end of the current session until July 2017. This was stated by Minister of social policy Andrei Reva, the press service of the Ministry.
Reva also noted that any serious obstacles which render impossible the adoption of the Labour code, which is now being prepared for the second reading, no. In this regard, Reva supported the President’s position to bring the document in line with the undertaken international obligations of Ukraine.
“On the anti-discrimination rules — do not see any problems, if we are talking about the detail of the grounds on which discrimination is prohibited”, — the Minister added.
As reported by “Focus”, the main changes to the Labour code are as follows:
- When applying for the work required will be the conclusion of a written employment contract between the employer and employee. Now it happens with the consent of both parties.
- Pregnant women will not undergo a probationary period when applying for the job.
- The reason for the dismissal of an employee may be the disclosure of official secrets, a gross violation of safety regulations, insufficient qualifications. Now the boss can fire an employee only for drunkenness, truancy and theft.
- Working week will not exceed 40 working hours and in hazardous conditions of production — 36 hours. With the written consent of the employee the number of hours can be increased to 44. In this case, for each hour of overtime the employee will pay three times more. Now overtime rate is two times higher than normal. When you want to work from 22:00 to 6:00 payment of working time will increase by 30% (now 20%).
- Introduces the concept of flexible hours and opportunities to work at home. In other words, the time worked will be recorded, but the main criteria for such conditions will be a quality work in time.
- Men and women with equal experience and the same duties shall receive the same salary. Now this question is not regulated.
- Managers will be allowed to monitor employees with cameras. Thus workers should be warned about this, but the camera do not install in areas where video surveillance can humiliate human dignity. For example, in the bathroom. Now the possibility of surveillance is not prescribed in the Labour code.
- Annual leave will increase from 24 to 28 days. The lunch break will also be regulated — not less than 30 minutes, but not more than two hours. The new draft stipulates that the employee is entitled to short breaks during the day.
- The amount of the severance pay of the employee in case of reduction will be increased. The amount depends on the employee’s seniority.
While in approved by members of the variant of the Labour code did not include the amendment, which was to expand anti-discrimination rules, particularly in relation to the LGBT community. But this is not the final solution. After the first reading the bill will be sent for examination in the International labour organization. The findings of this examination will take into account when preparing the document for second reading.
The authors of the bill say that the new code may come into force on 1 January 2018.
