THE RIGHT TO LOCATE AND PROSPECTS OF ITS LEGAL REGULATION IN UKRAINIAN LEGISLATION

This article is devoted to the study of the right to lockout, the legal status and procedure of which are not regulated in the labor legislation of Ukraine. The article considers the experience of foreign countries and options for legislative consolidation of the right to lockout. It is established that there are two types of lockout — defensive and offensive, the first of which acts as a reaction of the employer to the strike. The offensive does not require such a precondition as a workers' strike and is a means for the employer to impose its working conditions. Based on this, it was determined that most countries allow the employer to resort to such a measure if the lockout is defensive, but the procedure for its implementation contains a number of restrictions. The article analyzes the provisions of the European Social Charter, the Law of Ukraine «On the Procedure for Resolving Collective Labor Disputes (Conflicts)», the Draft Labor Code of Ukraine dated 04.12.2007 № 1108, the Draft Labor Code of Ukraine dated 27.12.2014 № 1658, the Draft Labor Code of Ukraine 08.11.2019 № 2410–1, Draft Labor Code of Ukraine dated 08.11.2019 № 2410, Draft Law on Strikes and Lockouts dated 27.12.2019 № 2682. The article considers the views of domestic scholars on the feasibility of enshrining in Ukrainian law the employer's right to lockout, some of which consider it appropriate to allow the right to lockout as a protective action of the employer in response to workers' strike, but with some restrictions. Other scholars advocate a direct ban, as such an employer's right may violate workers' right to strike. Based on the positions of scientists, foreign experience and analysis of numerous legislative attempts to determine the legal status and procedure of the right to lockout, a variant of its enshrinement in the labor legislation of Ukraine is proposed to balance the rights and interests of employees and employers and avoid economic pressure on employees. The authors consider it appropriate to consolidate the right to lockout if it is defensive, following the example of European experience.