Ouderschapsverlof: duur, vergoeding en overige vormen van familiegerelateerd verlof (en)

The EP Women's Rights Committee held a public hearing on Monday following the European Commission's proposal of 3 October 2008 to extend maternity leave to 18 weeks. The committee is drafting a co-decision report at first reading, the key points of which are the duration and payment for such leave and other arrangements such as paternity or parental leave.

"In a context of economic crisis and unemployment, women are often the first victims. We must increase equality between men and women and redouble our efforts to reconcile work and family life", said Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimir Spidla i, opening the debate.

The Commission has proposed that the minimum maternity leave be increased from 14 to 18 weeks and is recommending that women be paid 100% of their earnings, although Member States could set a ceiling on this. "These are recommendations in line with those of the International Labour Organisation", the Commissioner pointed out.

Michal Sedlácek, the Czech Deputy Minister for European Affairs, was "in favour of a review of the directive in order to protect women better" and wanted to reach a consensus before June.  However, Edit Bauer i (EPP-ED, SK) believed it would be hard to strike a compromise in such a short time given the differing situations and positions.

Length of maternity leave and payment

"Why is the current 14-week period not enough, if you just look at the legal basis of health and safety of workers?" asked Heidi Lougheed, on behalf of the employers' organisation Business Europe. "Questions to do with reconciling work and family life must be dealt with separately. The other problem with the proposal is the financial side, which is a matter for the Member States", she added.

This view was shared by Christa Klaß i (EPP-ED, DE), who asked "how is this leave to be paid for?".  But Eva-Britt Svensson i (GUE/NGL, SV) argued that "speaking about the cost of family leave is worrying".

Catelene Passchier, of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), argued for 100% of salary to be paid, as "women must not be penalised for being pregnant".  However, she was disappointed that "breastfeeding, risk assessment during pregnancy and new forms of family not taken into account in the revised directive".

Other forms of leave

Commissioner Spidla pointed out that employers' and workers' organisations had embarked on negotiations on updating the parental leave legislation in July 2008.

"Longer maternity leave means a longer period out of the job market, so to minimise this risk, maternity leave must be shared with the father", argued Fátima Duarte, chair of Portugal's Committee for Equality in Employment.

This is already the case in Sweden, explained Birgitta Åseskog, adviser at the Swedish Ministry for Integration and Gender Equality, where "flexible legislation and a generous system of compensation allows both parents to stay at home with the child in the first year".

"Fathers must be involved, and in the Scandinavian countries the proportion of fathers who have taken parental leave increased as soon as they were granted a fixed period of leave", said Ninetta Zoi, consultant to the deputy minister for health and social solidarity in Greece.

"Gender equality requires balanced participation by women and men in work and the private sphere.  Women must not be overprotected.  Extending the legal basis of the directive to equal treatment would enable provisions on paternity leave to be included", was the view expressed at the end of the debate by Edite Estrela (PES, PT), who is drafting Parliament's report.

Procedure: co-decision - first reading -- Committee vote: 16 April 2009 -- Plenary vote: May, Strasbourg

19/01/2009

Inn the chair : Anna ZÁBORSKÁ (EPP-ED, SK)