Another attempt to adjust Labor Code to LGBT community

Under pressure and manipulations around the visa-free regime with the EU, the Parliamentary Committee on Social Policy and Labor tried to reconsider its decision to exclude the concepts of "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" from the draft of the Labor Code of Ukraine, reports the Institute of Religious Freedom.

At the expanded meeting of the Committee on April 11, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Irina Gerashchenko, who is not a member of the Committee, non-alternatively insisted on reviewing the Committee's decision of March 15 in favor of the LGBT community, threatening Ukraine with losing its visa-free regime with the EU.

The participants expressed outrage that the Committee, without proper public discussion, supported the wording, contradicting the one that was adopted as a compromise at the last meeting. Then the Committee supported the amendment of people's deputies to include in the draft Labor Code of Ukraine a comprehensive rule on the prohibition of any discrimination in labor relations.

As participants reported, as a result, the Committee's next meeting was disrupted due to public outrage.

Deputies and the public criticized Irina Gerashchenko’s interference in the work of the Committee and manipulation of Ukraine's obligations to the EU. In turn, Gerashchenko accused the Committee of fabrications and called it "the parliamentary Taliban".

The final decision on the amendment to the draft Labor Code of Ukraine will be taken by the Verkhovna Rada when considering the document in the second reading. The date of consideration of this issue in the session hall of the parliament is still unknown.

As reported by the UOJ, on the proposal of the Council of Churches, the Rada excluded the "gender" from the Labor Code.