United Voice

Everyone benefits from Paid Parental Leave ... was the message at the recent Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) morning tea, well attended by a large contingent of concerned LHMU members.

Paid Parental Leave allows new mothers the time they need to recover from childbirth and adjust to motherhood. It also gives new fathers precious time to bond with their baby and establish their new role as fathers.

Some workers are fortunate enough to already be covered by a workplace parental leave scheme, negotiated through the strength of their union. However, many workers miss out.

In fact, Australia is one of only two economically developed countries that does not have a National Paid Parental Leave Scheme.

In turbulent times, Parental Leave means that financial pressures on young families are eased. It also acts as a stimulus to our economy.

Your union's symbolic presence at the recent QCU morning tea is being matched by substantial efforts to lobby the federal government to include this essential program in the 2009 federal Budget.

The Federal Budget is being stretched by the financial crisis, but Australia can not afford to continue without a National Paid Parental Leave Scheme.

As a result the QCU has launched a campaign to ensure this scheme is recognised in the 2009 Federal Budget for all working families.

LHMU members can lend their support to this vital campaign by sending a message directly to the government. Click here to send a message to the Hon. Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Housing and the Status of Women.

Would you like to know more?

Click here to visit the Queensland Council of Unions Paid Parental Leave campaign information page.

Good for families

- 60% of all families with dependents are two-income earning households and rely on women's wages to survive financially.

• - Fathers of new babies work five hours per week more than average to make up for the mother's lost income. As a result they spend less time bonding with their baby.
• Benefits to business
• - replacement costs can be around a year's salary while paid maternity leave of 14 weeks costs just over a quarter of a year's pay.
• - It is estimated that the cost to retailers of staff turnover is $397 million.
• - Holden Australia reports that since introducing paid maternity leave 90% of their employees now return to work after their paid leave.
• Good for the economy
• - Around 70% of women of child bearing age are in the paid workforce and they now make up almost half of the paid workforce.
• - Paid maternity leave encourages labour market attachment for women maintaining a high quality and competitive labour force.
• - Mothers make up one of the largest un-tapped labour market resources. Modelling by Treasury shows that a 2.5% increase in labour participation rates would produce an additional 9% increase in economic output by 2022.