Draft Labor Code Discussed by the Human Rights Ombuds Expert Council

On June 3, the legal director of Labor Initiatives co-chaired the quarterly meeting of the Social and Economic Expert Council, which operates under the Human Rights Ombudsman of Ukraine. The meeting focused on the draft Labor Code No. 14386, recently submitted to the parliament, which has generated significant discussion among labor law reform stakeholders.

The session brought together trade union representatives, legal and policy experts, academics, and labor specialists to review the proposed legislation and assess its potential implications for workers’ rights and human rights protections in Ukraine. Participants shared a range of comments and recommendations, with particular attention to provisions that may weaken existing labor protections.

Commenting on the draft law, George noted:

Recently, the International Trade Union Confederation published its 2026 Global Rights Index, placing Ukraine in Group 5 – the category of countries where labor rights are not adequately guaranteed or respected. Will the new Labor Code improve this situation? Unfortunately, that seems unlikely. On the contrary, under the banner of ‘modernizing’ labor relations, the draft effectively narrows a number of existing labor rights. Moreover, in terms of genuine modernization, the proposed draft fails to address many of today’s emerging challenges in the world of work. It does not incorporate the EU Platform Work Directive, nor does it reflect evolving European approaches to regulating the use of artificial intelligence in employment relations.

Following the discussion, the Expert Council agreed to prepare and submit its comments and recommendations on the draft Labor Code to the Parliamentary Committee on Social Policy and Veterans’ Protection for further consideration.

Read the detailed draft Labor Code analysis from LI by link.