Sep-Oct 2008

Women@Work: Maternity Leave

Paid Maternity Leave Petition

All Australian mothers should have access to Paid Maternity leave - Sign the Petition Here.

Paid Parental Leave - It's Overdue!

The NSW Union movement believes that Australia should fall into line with other OECD nations and embrace a policy of universal paid maternity leave.

We believe that all Australian mothers should have access to six months paid maternity leave.

Six months paid maternity leave is essential to helping families achieve a work/life balance. Health experts agree. The World Health Organisation says that breast feeding exclusively for 6 months (provided the mother can) achieves optimal health results for babies. Six months paid maternity leave provides women with more options.

We ask for a legislated, government funded system of six months universal paid maternity leave, available to all mothers irrespective of whether they are casual, full time, contractors or stay at home mums. It should also be able to be accessed by parents who are assuming the primary carer role.

The system needs to match the changes demanded of the contemporary workforce whom experts say may have five career changes in their life time. This means that full wage replacement is needed through a system of collectively pooled contributions by employers, similar to the long service leave model that operates in the construction industry. This would involve employers paying a levy into a central fund to then be distributed as needed, much like superannuation.

This leave should include a base rate of pay, provided for by the government with full wage replacement to be aided by employers.

This is the submission from Unions NSW and we would like this scheme adopted nationally.

Compare us internationally and we are way behind!

Australia and the U.S. are the only two countries that provide no legislated paid maternity leave, here is what other countries offer:-

Sweden - 18mths paid leave per child

Estonia - 18 moths starting up to 70 days before the due date

Bulgaria - 2 years + 45 days

Canada - 50 weeks paid leave and up to 35 weeks divided between both parents

United Kingdom - 39 weeks paid leave

Parents are really struggling with the cost of food, petrol prices, interest rate rises and the high cost of rent. Most families are finding it impossible to make ends meet.

The paid maternity leave claim is moderate in comparison to what most other developed countries provide.

Australia should be top of the list!!!!

To help out download the petition below and get family and friends to sign or contact me on 0401 202 667

Mich-Elle Myers
National Women's Liaison Officer

Download more info:
Maternity Leave Petition (pdf File) [ Get a player/reader for this file here ]

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