New booking rules may lead to the dismissal of postponed workers, says MP

A new draft government resolution on the reservation of liable-to-military-service citizens creates serious risks of discrimination against workers who have a personal deferment from conscription. This was stated by Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Fediienko, pointing to potential threats to the stable operation of critical infrastructure and defense-industrial complex enterprises.

The essence of changes in booking rules

According to Fediienko, the current version of Cabinet Resolution No. 76 stipulates that employees who have a deferment on other grounds under Article 23 of the mobilization law are counted in the total number of military-liable persons at their primary workplace. However, the draft amendments propose to exclude such citizens from the calculation base that determines the general quota for employee reservations.

Risks of discrimination and cascading layoffs

The MP warns that such an innovation could trigger a so-called cascading effect. Since workers with personal deferments will no longer increase the company's calculation base for booking colleagues, employers may begin to view such specialists as financially and organizationally disadvantageous for the staffing structure under strict mobilization limits.

Contradictory data

On the one hand, the government seeks to optimize the system of accounting for military-liable citizens and revise quotas for a number of sectors, including a potential reduction of reservation thresholds for energy and the defense sector from 100% to 85%, and for the communal sphere from 75% to 65%. On the other hand, specialized associations and experts state that such harsh measures threaten national security and could disrupt the production of critical weapons. While the Ministry of Defense advocates maintaining maximum booking for defense enterprises, the Cabinet continues to insist on systemic changes in control procedures.

Expert assessments and alternative solutions

According to Oleksandr Fediienko, instead of changing the quota calculation methodology and creating discriminatory conditions for large families or students, the authorities should strengthen personal control over compliance with existing norms. The parliamentarian proposes introducing strict sanctions for violations, such as the automatic cancellation of the status of a critically important enterprise, rather than shifting the burden onto ordinary workers and businesses.