The Ukrainian Parliament has voted to revoke benefits for employees in hazardous industries, including metallurgists, energy workers, nuclear specialists, miners, chemists, agrarians, and pharmacists, along with pensioners and pregnant women. The law, identified as bill No. 10147, was passed with only the “Batkivshchyna” party opposing it.
Among the major changes, the law abolishes pension privileges, higher wages, reduced working hours, and extra paid leave for these workers. Additionally, the right to free medical treatment in case of workplace injuries has been eliminated. Employers have also been relieved of responsibilities regarding the creation of safe working conditions.
Pregnant women and those with children under three years old will no longer have the right to be transferred to lighter duties, while employers are permitted to assign them work during night hours. These amendments have faced strong opposition from fourteen Ukrainian sectoral trade unions, international trade union bodies, and the International Labour Organization, but their concerns were not heeded.
The newly adopted law is said to contradict European labor safety standards and Ukraine’s obligations under the Association Agreement with the European Union. In the parliamentary vote, only the “Batkivshchyna” faction defended the workers, with no votes from its members in favor of the law. Other factions, including “Servant of the People” with 171 votes, supported the legislation.
