Just hours before the Ukrainian government imposed a new “weekend lockdown” and strengthened the measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of employers and workers of various businesses had protested against it.
Initiated by some of the Kyiv restaurateurs, the rally named “I have a right to work” took place in front of the Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv on Nov. 10.
Hit hard by the previous harsh lockdown, which lasted for three months in March-June, the entrepreneurs opposed “weekend lockdown,” a policy that will force non-essential businesses to close on Saturdays and Sundays. While during the total lockdown, businesses had a chance to receive discounts from tenants and suppliers, with the new “weekend” policy, that would be harder, the protesters claimed.
The businesses also demanded from the government to support enterprises through issuing financial compensations, reducing taxes and providing soft loans.
Read more: Ukraine imposes weekend lockdown, adopts uniform nationwide quarantine measures
