Isabella Hokin with NSW Senator Steve Hutchin.

Babies join in campaign for paid maternity leave

The next generation has joined the campaign for paid maternity leave.

Federation Vice President Sui-Linn White and Multicultural Officer/Organiser Amber Flohm and their babies joined other women unionists in Canberra on August 27 and 28 to lobby for the six months paid maternity leave model proposed by Unions NSW.

The model has been developed to fully fund six months paid maternity leave for working women, and four weeks paid paternity leave. All leave should be at full salary or wage replacement rate for each worker. The cost of this scheme can be met through a combination of government funding and a payroll equivalent levy on business of between 0.9 per cent and 1.4 per cent.

The World Health Organisation states that women should, where possible, breastfeed their children for six months to maximise health benefits and prevent early childhood disease, and a minimum six months paid maternity leave will assist workers in meeting this goal.

Only seven per cent of men currently take unpaid paternity leave and paid leave for fathers will ensure that families are able to share in the caring responsibilities. This model provides families with the provision of financial support to be able to do this.

Australia needs to catch up with the rest of the world, currently ranked 22 of the 30 OECD countries. Canada offers women 50 weeks paid leave, the United Kingdom 39, and France, Sweden and Estonia offer 18 months on full pay. Countries such as Tanzania and the Republic of Congo offer 14 and 15 weeks respectively.

Over the two days the group met with about 26 MPs and Senators. General support for the principle of paid maternity leave provision was expressed but politicians were pressed to become advocates for the model rather than just supporters. Many agreed to hold a launch of the campaign or a forum in their electorate, while others asked for further particulars in order to lobby colleagues.

Members are encouraged to circulate and sign the petition located at http://council.labor.net.au/community//public//files/Paid%20Maternity%20Leave%20Petition.pdf on paid maternity leave which will be submitted to the Productivity Commission along with Unions NSW full castings of the model.

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September 2008 contents