Minimum Maternity Leave Not Extended

The EC parliament has rejected a proposal to increase the period of compulsory paid maternity leave to 20 weeks, with 6 weeks on full pay after the birth and the balance either before or after.

With accusations that the centre-right¬† were ‘betraying the welfare of women’ Socialist MEPs claimed that the 17 year old legislation is due for modernisation.
However, particularly in view of the current economic problems, countries where the payment is made by employers are against the extension, and fear that the proposals would discourage the employment of younger women because of the potential cost.