United Voice News
Paid parental leave - a great win
Mothers Day was a great day for working families in Australia with the Rudd Labor Government announcing the introduction of a Paid Parental Leave Scheme.
After years of hard campaigning by unionists a federal government finally listened and understood that working women need real financial support when they give birth and in the early months of their babies lives.
International evidence is really clear – the best start for a baby is to be breast fed for the first 6 months. Sometimes that simply isn’t possible but often the reason for it not being so is that women have to return to work early for financial or job security reasons.
With the proposed Paid Parental Leave Scheme women will receive the equivalent of 18 weeks pay (at the rate of the minimum wage).
This will enable more women to stay at home longer after the birth of their children. It will also allow more women to take leave from their jobs, rather than resigning at the end of their pregnancies, so they will not have to restart their careers when they are ready to re-join the workforce. This is also a good outcome for employers as it assists them in keeping good experienced and skilled workers.
Good news for women in LHMU industries
The scheme is particularly well designed to suit the needs of many women working in LHMU industries as it allows part time workers and workers who hold multiple jobs to be eligible. If members have already won paid leave in collective agreements this will be able to be taken in addition to the government payment. The scheme also allows some of the leave to be shared with partners recognising the importance of bonding time for new parents and families.
It would have been great if the scheme could start now but for financial reasons the Government has said it will commence on January 1st 2011.
This is a great win, particularly for those LHMU members that gave such great testimony to the recent Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into Paid Parental Leave and to the many active members who have been agitating and campaigning for this scheme for years.
Louise Tarrant
LHMU National Secretary
