On 28 December 2024, the Moscow Trilateral Agreement* for 2025-2027 was signed between the Government of Moscow, Moscow trade union associations, and Moscow employer associations (the “Agreement”).

The Agreement stipulates several additional obligations in the social and labour sphere for employers operating in Moscow. These obligations include, among other things:

• Development of measures aimed at reducing the number of employees subject to dismissal;
• Provision of opportunities for employees dismissed due to the liquidation of the organisation or reduction of the number of employees or staff of the organisation to undergo professional training and obtain additional professional education;
• Prevention of the simultaneous dismissal of spouses, parents, adoptive parents, guardians raising minor children, and/or taking care of disabled family members in the event of staff reductions within six months;
• Funding for measures to improve working conditions and labour protection in organisations at an annual amount not lower than the minimum wage in Moscow for each employee;
• And other provisions.

The Agreement automatically applies to all employers in Moscow and does not provide an option to withdraw from it at any time.

We remind employers that they have the option to refuse to join the Agreement (in whole or in part) by submitting a written reasoned statement. This statement must be submitted to the Moscow Trilateral Commission for the Regulation of Social and Labour Relations within 30 calendar days after the official publication of the Agreement.

The Agreement was published on 31 December 2024, so we recommend submitting a reasoned statement of disagreement with the Agreement no later than 30 January 2025. We also note that the Agreement was published once again on 14 January 2025, along with an appeal* to employers offering to join the Agreement. Therefore, if it is impossible to submit the statement within the above-mentioned deadline, we recommend submitting a statement of disagreement with the Agreement no later than 13 February 2025.

If the employer does not refuse to join the Agreement, the Agreement becomes mandatory for implementation, and employees will be entitled to require the corresponding guarantees provided.

* In Russian

Publication is also available in Russian.

Authors:

Valeriy Fedoreev, Partner, Head of Employment & Migration

Anna Pavlova, Senior Associate, Employment & Migration

Irina Skvortsova, Senior Associate, Employment & Migration