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The European Parliament has backed a controversial plan to make 20 weeks maternity leave on full pay mandatory across the EU. However, oponenets of the measure site the cost to the Treasury to be in the region of an extra £2.5 billion a year if it came into law.
Lobbyists for UK businesses along with Conservative MEPs have campaigned against the extension, claiming that, in an atmosphere of public spending cuts in the UK, any increase in payments to workers would be an added burden on employers.
It is nearly 20 years after the EU’s last directive on maternity rights there is pressure to updater and improve conditions for new mothers. Currently, there is a minimum of 14 weeks’ maternity leave with no rules on pay with member countries offering various rules on provision. The European Commission earlier recommended an extension to 18 weeks. But now the Europen Parliament has approved a proposal to increase that to 20 weeks on compulsory full pay. For its supporters the measure are not only good news for women, it is also good for Europe
MEP, Britta Thomsen, of the European Socialist Group said: “At the moment, in many member States women cannot afford to have (sic) children; many families cannot afford to have (sic) children. And therefore, I think this will encourage people to have children, which is good for the economy and good for the society. And of course with demographic developments within Europe we really need more people.”
Opponents are doubtful. They say the added costs will discourage businesses from taking on young women staff.
MEP, Marina Yannakoudakis, of the Europena Conservative Group commented: “(Businesses) can not employ women they will find it difficult and it is a reality that however much we try to ignore it and women will not be able to get jobs as easily if they are of child-bearing age. So this is not good for businesses and it is not good for women because if it does not work for business it will not work for women.”
The measure has now been voted through in the European Parliament but this is not the end of the story; it now goes before the Council of Officials in Brussels who may well take a different view.
A Department for Business spokesman said: "We are very disappointed by the outcome of today's votes in the European Parliament.
"This is not the end of the process and the UK will be working hard to oppose the imposition of a requirement for fully paid maternity leave."
Senior Employment Solicitor, Michael Pitt, of Pearson Hinchliffe Commercial Law commented: “Approving of generous maternity leave is one thing but, obviously, paying for it is quite another, and in no European country is there any appetite for weighing down budgets with more welfare costs."
He added: "This 20-week measure has still a long way to go before it is ever adopted in Britain. The next stage is for it to be voted on by national governments, where it will inevitably come under strong attack from some quarters. Employers’ groups and other will be sure to lobby hard so the outcome will probably be a more watered down version of the current plans.”
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