Article 31. Rights of trade unions and other representative bodies of employees in ensuring labour protection

Trade unions and other representative bodies of employees shall exercise representation in the field of labour protection and protect employeesʼ rights and legitimate interests.

Trade unions, other representative bodies of employees, and employeesʼ authorized representatives on labour protection shall have the right to:

obtain from heads of organizations and other officialsʼ information on working conditions and protection, as well as on all industrial accidents and occupational diseases;

participate in the investigation of industrial accidents and occupational diseases;

in cases where a threat to employeesʼ life and health has arisen, suspend work and submit proposals to the employer on eliminating violations of labour protection requirements;

study the state of labour protection and monitor fulfillment by employers of labour protection obligations envisaged in collective agreements and accords;

participate as independent experts in the work of commissions for testing and accepting production facilities and means of production for operation, and participate in meetings of medical-social expert commissions;

take part in the development of technical regulation documents and regulatory legal acts on labour protection;

apply to the competent bodies with demands to hold liable persons guilty of violating labour protection requirements or concealing facts of industrial accidents;

apply to a court to protect an employeeʼs rights to compensation for damage caused by injury or other health damage related to performance of labour duties, and in other cases where employeesʼ rights to protection of health and labour are restricted;

participate in the consideration of labour disputes related to violations of legislation on labour protection, collective agreements and accords, as well as to changes in working conditions.

An employee authorized on labour protection shall be allocated at least two working hours per week to perform his/her assigned duties, with preservation of the workplace (position) and average monthly wage for this time.

Trade unions and other representative bodies of employees shall implement social partnership in the field of labour protection and may conclude general, sectoral and territorial (regional) collective accords and collective agreements.