On 12 November 1920 by the Law on the Temporary Supreme Authority and the Legislative System of the UNR, the executive council was reformed into a single-person government position.

It was charged to enact laws in the absence of the Labor Congress due to the political situation in the country, while the Council of the People's Ministers was invested with the executive powers.

On 13 November 1918 Skoropadky's opponents set up a rival body known as the Directorate, whose forces were headed by the newly reformed Sich Riflemen.

To the North-east were the Bolsheviks, to the south-east were the Russian Whites, to the south-west Romanians who had claims on territory in Bukovina and Halychyna, and the French intervention force took Odessa in December 1918 to fill the power vacuum left by the withdrawing Austrians and Germans.

A political trick took place that the Directorate tried to play with Volodymyr Vynnychenko resignation to demonstrate a change of powers in the Ukrainian government and maybe attain a possible acceptance with the Entente.

The White Guards forces pushed the Reds out of the Central and Eastern Ukraine, thus, giving the Directorate another chance to reclaim Kyiv.

But the constant Red Guards counter-attacks and a deadly typhus epidemic caused the Petliura forces to be pushed out of Ukraine completely into the well established territory of Poland.

A political crisis took place inside the Directorate members of which were heavily interfered in the affairs of the Council of People's Ministers.

But less than a month later, the Soviet's summer counter-offensive left the Poles and Ukrainians retreating, an armistice was signed in late 1920.

For introduction of the Reform there was organized the People's Land Committee...The Directorate canceled all the codes of the former Hetmanate government concerning workers policies.

The eight-hour working day was reestablished as well as the practice of cooperative agreements, the rights on coalition and activist strikes, and various other normative acts.