UNLA calls on the Parliament to support the new Labor Code as drafted by the government
The Ukrainian Lobbyists Association calls on the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to support and adopt the new Labor Code in the government’s version initiated by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko as a key step towards modernizing labor relations and updating the outdated legal framework.
The current Labor Code, adopted in Soviet times, does not meet the current conditions of economic development, digitalization, and European labor regulation standards. The Labor Code proposed by the government envisages a number of systemic changes, including the introduction of an apprenticeship contract, the use of electronic documents, and updated approaches to the labor inspectorate.
Oleksiy Shevchuk, Chairman of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association, emphasizes that the adoption of the new Labor Code is a prerequisite for creating a predictable, fair and competitive labor market.
“We cannot build a modern economy on a regulatory framework developed for another country and another era. The new Labor Code is not just a technical replacement of the document, it is the foundation for the development of the labor market, protection of workers’ rights and investment promotion,” Shevchuk said.
He also emphasized the importance of adhering to the principles of social dialogue that have already been implemented during the preparation of the document. In particular, on August 21, 2025, the last of six planned trilateral consultations on the updated draft Labor Code took place.
The consultations were attended by representatives of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the International Labor Organization (ILO), the State Labor Service, the National Mediation and Conciliation Service, employers, trade unions, MPs, as well as Ukrainian and international labor law experts.
The National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine believes that the adoption of the new Labor Code will be an important step in harmonizing Ukrainian legislation with European standards and will create conditions for sustainable economic development.
