Sweet armour: why can Roshen hold employees while other food companies cannot?
14 August 2024 15:08
ANALYSIS
Under martial law, the number of vacancies on employers’ websites has increased. Due to mass mobilisation, many companies are experiencing a shortage of men. While before the war, the first priority for job seekers was the size of the salary, in the context of the undeclared war, the #1 advantage is the availability of armour that would officially protect them from the front and the TCC. "Komersant Ukrainian" looked into the situation on the labour market.
The Law of Ukraine “On Mobilisation” clearly states that employees of enterprises that are particularly important to the state should be subject to mobilisation. These are mainly companies in the defence, utilities and road transport sectors. Civil servants and employees of other strategic state facilities are also subject to reservation. These include bakery plants, which are designated as strategic for providing bread to the population in emergencies. For example, Kyivkhlib, which falls into this category, performed quite well in the first days of the large-scale invasion, when lighter, fresh loaves appeared at every corner despite the rocket attacks.
At the same time, the entire agricultural sector, which grows grain and is most in need of manpower, does not have summer armour. Combine and tractor drivers have seasonal reservations for the period of field work.
Against this backdrop of the situation in the food production and manufacturing sector, it suddenly turns out that confectionery companies have war reserves.
Among the companies that have been granted the right to book is the confectionery business of former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Roshen.
analysed the vacancies offered by popular Ukrainian employer websites.
According to Work.ua, a master technologist at Roshen confectionery corporation, or, for example, a measuring device adjuster and a food production line operator, are exempt from mobilisation.
At the same time, an operator of a food production line holding a similar position
– an employee of the company “Trading House “Technology Trade” (which is the market leader in ingredients for the food industry in Ukraine) is not available for booking.
There is also no possibility of booking, for example, for a production line operator at First Private Bakery.
Thesituation is similar at Green Life, which, like Roshen, produces sweets.
According to Work.ua, an operator of a bottling line at the equally well-known food company Carlsberg Ukraine cannot count on mobilisation reservations either. Neither cana “production line operator” at MHP.
How companies can get the right to reserve employees
Only those companies that are recognised as critical to the functioning of Ukraine’s economy during a special period can reserve their employees. To qualify for this status, 3 of the 7 criteria listed below must be met:
- the amount of taxes paid for the previous year is more than the equivalent of €1,500,000;
- foreign currency revenues exceed the equivalent of €32,000,000;
- strategic importance for the economy and security (only for unique enterprises);
- no unified social contribution arrears;
- the size of the average wage is higher than the average wage in the region for the 4th quarter of 2021 (UAH 15,000.00 – 23,000.00 thousand);
- is important for the territorial community or economic sector;
- is a resident of Diia.City.
Economic booking is in the works
The Verkhovna Rada has registered the draft Law “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Mobilisation Preparation and Mobilisation” regarding the reservation of persons liable for military service who work for business entities of any legal form” No. 11468.
According to the proposal of the legislators, businesses may subsequently be entitled to reserve up to 30% of their employees.
As a reminder, according to Diia City, as of 7 August, 700 IT companies in Ukraine have received the status of critical to the functioning of the economy and can book employees. Back in July, there were 575 such companies.
