Conflicts and disputes in the field of labor: essence and interaction
Authors: Zhernakov Volodymyr 
Published: December 2022

Problem setting. The perception of conflicts and disputes in the field of labor should not be limited to the concepts inherent in the consideration of collective labor disputes, and the research base cannot be only the sources of labor law. For a deeper understanding of the nature and essence of conflicts and disputes one should operate in the categories of philosophy, conflictology, and general theory of law. Target of research is the substantiation of the concept of broad scope and deep content of the categories “conflict” and “labor dispute” and the impossibility of limiting them to the mechanism of collective labor disputes. Analysis of recent researches and publications. Problems of legal regulation of conflicts and disputes in the field of labor have been studied in recent years by L. Yerofeenko, S. Yerokhin, V. Kushik, I. Lykholat, J. Lyubchenko, V. Mamay, G. Rybnytsky, N. Uvarova and other scientists. Mostly they considered the mechanism of collective labor disputes, and some of them even made a comparative analysis of the categories of collective labor dispute and “collective labor conflict”. Meanwhile, the nature of conflicts in the field of labor, the relationship between conflicts and individual labor disputes have been ignored. Article’s main body. The main idea of the article is that the categories of “conflict” and “labor dispute” in the field of labor have a deep meaning and a wide scope. Conflicts in the field of labor have not only a psychological basis as irreconcilable differences and sharp confrontation. They are based on natural principles based on the age-old conflict between labor and capital. Labor disputes are not differences between the parties to social and labor relations, but a complex organizational and legal mechanism. Conflicts and disputes in the field of labor have different dimensions in time and in essence. Conflict may be present at the stage of forming the demands of the employee (labor collective), and it does not necessarily end with the end of the strike or the decision of national courts or the European Court of Human Rights. The erroneous assertion that the court decision is considered executed after the issuance of an order to reinstate the employee at work is emphasized. Since the psychological component of the conflict continues after the end of the labor dispute, the employer is not always ready to fully implement the decision of the body to consider the labor dispute. The decision to reinstate the employee should be considered executed from the date of his actual admission to work, which consists in granting the rights and obligations in full until dismissal. The role of the state in preventing and resolving collective labor disputes (conflicts) is determined by economic and socio-legal factors, including maintaining constructive cooperation in the field of labor as an important component of public life, preventing economic losses, maintaining harmony in labor collectives. Proposals for improving labor legislation have been formed. In particular, the need to introduce in the new Labor Code a person’s waiver of an employment contract as an organizational and legal means of protecting the rights and interests protected by law is substantiated. Conclusions and prospects for the development. Conflicts and disputes in the field of labor are not limited to the mechanism of collective labor disputes. Conflicts in the field of labor are objectively conditioned by the general conflict between labor and capital. If a labor dispute can be resolved through court and arbitration, then the conflict needs to be resolved through concessions and compromises and is exhausted by complete reconciliation. The state plays a significant role in the prevention and resolution of collective labor disputes (conflicts), as it is interested in economic stability, the establishment of harmony between the subjects of labor relations. Legal regulation of conflicts and disputes needs to be qualitatively improved.