UKRAINE'S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION: FUNDAMENTALS OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT REGULATION

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to identify the foundations, problems and prospects of modernization of labour legislation and employment sphere in the process of European integration of Ukraine, which is discussed in the context of optimisation of factors of competitiveness of the national economy in the globalised world. Methodology. A significant number of commitments regarding the convergence of labour legislation and regulatory principles of the Ukrainian labour sphere with the EU acquis communautaire require a broad inter-sectoral and inter-ministerial approach to the study, development and implementation of relevant processes and measures. Results. Activities aimed at bringing Ukrainian labour legislation into line with the provisions of EU law take place in the following areas: standardisation of the basic principles of labour legislation; prevention of discrimination and ensuring gender equality of employees; ensuring their safety at work. The difficulties in meeting the requirements of the EU acquis communautaire in the field of employment and ensuring the social and labour rights of the working population are largely connected with the contradictory interpretations of Ukraine's obligations under the Association Agreement by the EU itself and by representatives of the national legislative and executive authorities, oriented towards the development of a neoliberal economy with the rejection of a large part of the usual social guarantees, a significant strengthening of employers' rights. Practical implications. The identified problems of the reform of the labour legislation of Ukraine within the framework of the obligations of the Association Agreement with the EU testify to the necessity of more careful consideration of the achievements of the established national practice of regulating the labour sphere together with activation of the acquis communautaire in the sphere of observance of social and labour rights of certain categories of employees and labour collectives, ensuring labour safety in the conditions of modernisation and diversification of the technological base of the economy, as well as to the necessity of implementation of the best world standards and benchmarks of improving the quality of working life. Value/originality. Expectations for a sustainable adaptation of the Ukrainian labour sphere to the common EU legal framework are closely linked to the overcoming of the identified contradictions in the interpretation of the Association Agreement obligations by the national authorities, and also to the focus on the foundations of the harmonisation of legislative norms through increasing the effectiveness of the social dialogue.