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Autumn 2003

Paid Maternity Leave

Unions are calling on the Australian Government to follow Britain’s lead in legislating for paid maternity leave and more family friendly workplaces.

ACTU President, Sharan Burrow, says national legislation in the UK from next month will provide for 26 weeks paid maternity leave as well as secure part time work and more flexible working hours.

Visiting UK policy expert' Matthew Taylor' will discuss details of the British Government initiatives at the ACTU's Executive meeting.

Mr Taylor - the Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research in the UK and a former Assistant General Secretary of the British Labour Party - said the UK's workplace policies provided practical examples for other countries planning reform.

Ms Burrow said the ACTU would seek some similar rights for Australian workers in its Work and Family Test Case in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.

"The British example of 26 weeks paid maternity leave guaranteed by government shows how far Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world when two-thirds of our working women have no access to any paid maternity leave at all," Ms Burrow said.

"The ACTU's Work and Family Test Case will build on the British Government's experience in developing new rights to part time work and flexible hours for employees," Ms Burrow said.

HACSU has negotiated a number of agreements, which provide for paid maternity leave of 6-12 weeks. Whilst this has been of benefit to members where agreement has been reached, more needs to be done for the majority of workers.