ABSTRACT

The Labour Code of the Russian Federation of 30 December 2001 prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, nationality, language, social origin, property status, place of residence, religious beliefs, affiliations with social associations, and other circumstances not connected with the professional qualities of the workers. It permits preferential treatment prompted by the nature of the job as well as for certain classes of individuals that are viewed by the state as requiring additional protections or to whom an affirmative action program applies. Article 3, Prohibition of discrimination in the sphere of labor, states: Everyone shall have equal opportunities to realize his/her labor rights. Persons considering themselves to be discriminated against in the sphere of labor shall be entitled to petition the federal labor inspectorate bodies and/or courts applying for restoration of their violated rights, compensation of the material loss, and redress of the moral damage.