Draft Law No. 14063 ‘On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding Termination of Civil Service, Service in Local Governments, Dismissal of Employees, and Other Specifics of Labour Relations for the Period of Martial Law’, has been registered by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

This was announced by MP Vitalii Bezgin.

According to the MP, the Draft Law was developed at the request of the All-Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils and the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities.

‘We have registered Draft Law No. 14063, which aims to simplify the procedure for dismissing employees who remain in temporarily occupied territories. It also gives local council members the right to terminate their powers early upon personal request, without a council decision, but only during martial law. Additionally, the Draft Law eliminates duality of power: if the head of the regional military administration or the regional military administration is granted self-governing powers, then the powers of the head of the relevant council are granted to the head of the military administration,’ stressed the parliamentarian.

Why is this law necessary?

As mentioned in the explanatory note, a number of laws were passed to regulate labour relations under the new conditions after martial law was introduced in February 2022. However, a number of inconsistencies remained:

• lack of clear grounds for dismissing employees who remained in temporarily occupied territories;
• difficulties that arise with personnel documentation in cases of its loss or destruction;
• insufficient regulation of the powers of heads of military administrations with regard to personnel issues;
• unregulated procedures for the early termination of the powers of elected officials and local council members in temporarily occupied territories.

What does the Draft Law propose?

The Draft Law proposes amendments to the Labour Code and several special laws. In particular, these amendments concern:

• clarification of the status of local government officials under martial law;
• regulation of the powers of heads of military administrations with regard to personnel decisions;
• simplification of the procedure for dismissing employees from temporary occupied territories and definition of clear grounds for such dismissal;
• procedures for early termination of the powers of local council members and council chairpersons in territories where military administrations have been set up;
• clarification of mechanisms for restoring personnel documents in case of their loss or absence.

The adoption the law will ensure the clear and consistent regulation of labour relations in the civil service and local government, as well as the adequate protection of employees’ and employers’ rights during martial law.