Vitalii Bezghin: Military administration employees must receive a clear status and fair employment guarantees

The Government has approved a draft law that clearly defines the status of employees of settlement military administrations and their employment guarantees.

These are specialists who work in the relevant military administrations under martial law and exercise the powers of local self-government bodies.

Under the current law on the legal regime of martial law, employees of such administrations are classified neither as civil servants nor as local self-government officials. This legal uncertainty prevents the proper protection of rights and guarantees in public service, in particular regarding remuneration and career advancement.

“Military administrations today are responsible for ensuring that communities continue to live and work even in the most difficult conditions. Behind this are real people: specialists who deal every day with social protection, administrative and other services, housing and utilities, municipal services, transport and many other areas. It is important that their status and employment guarantees are not only clearly defined but also fair, and that the draft law approved by the Cabinet of Ministers is adopted by the Verkhovna Rada as quickly as possible. We count on the support of members of parliament,” said Vitalii Bezghin, Minister for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons.

What the approved draft law changes for military administration employees:

Application of the relevant law: The Law of Ukraine “On Service in Local Self-Government Bodies” will apply to military administration employees who are not military personnel or law enforcement officers and whose duties involve exercising local self-government powers.

Categories and ranks: The positions of employees of settlement military administrations performing local self-government functions will be assigned to the corresponding categories of positions in village, settlement and city councils; they will also be eligible for the corresponding ranks and length-of-service allowances;

Direct contracts: Employees of settlement military administrations will conclude employment contracts directly with their own settlement’s military administration, rather than with the regional military administration or the General Staff.

Transfer of local self-government officials to positions in settlement military administrations: local self-government officials may be appointed to positions in the relevant military administration. During this period they retain their previous positions, duties and legal guarantees associated with service in local self-government bodies.

The draft law also regulates the status of village, settlement and city heads appointed as heads of settlement military administrations. During this period, they will retain their previous position and the corresponding legal guarantees of a local self-government official, a local self-government official.

After the law enters into force, the relevant changes will apply both to new employees and to those already working in settlement military administrations.

Thus, for people who work in settlement military administrations and keep territorial communities functioning under martial law, the draft law establishes clear rules and fair employment guarantees; for the relevant military administrations, it creates additional opportunities to recruit specialists more effectively.