In two separate studies from the University of California, Berkeley it was found that women who start maternity leave at least a month before their baby is born are less likely to have a caesarean delivery according to US researchers, who also found mothers who delay their return to work breastfeed for longer. This studies just add more weight to the substantial amount of evidence to support Paid Maternity Leave.
There is also a lot of community support for Paid Maternity Leave. According to a news poll commissioned by the National Federation of Australian Women, 80 per cent of men and 76 per cent of women would support a paid maternity leave scheme in which costs are shared by government, employers and employees, with support particularly strong among 18 to 24 year olds.
Recently also the Productivity Commission in its draft report proposed a tax-payer funded parental leave scheme. Under the scheme, mothers would be able to take 18 weeks paid maternity leave and fathers, two weeks, or vice-versa. Both would be paid at the minimum wage rate of AUS$544 (US$1=AUS$1.55) a week, to a maximum per couple of AUS$11,854 before tax, with their employer paying superannuation. While I don't agree that this is the best proposal it is a good step in the right direction.
Is the Rudd Government listening? I don' think so ... The Australian Government has signed up to an optional protocol to a United Nations convention on women's rights but retained a clause that opposes maternity leave. The reservation states that the Australian Government was not in a position to fulfill a convention obligation to introduce paid maternity leave. The Government repeated the statement in an unpublished report delivered to the UN last month. But the Government hedged its bets by saying it would review the reservation "if appropriate" after the Productivity Commission delivered its final report on a maternity leave scheme, due next month.
Additionally, since the global financial meltdown, cabinet ministers have started equivocating on the Government's commitment to the introduction of such a scheme.
Pressure needs to be put on the Rudd Government to meet their commitment and implement Paid Maternity Leave Scheme in the May 2009 Budget.
The ACTU is preparing a national campaign to muscle the Government into honouring its commitment on a leave scheme. The ACTU has called for paid maternity leave to become a new national employment standard. Unions believe women are discriminated against in the workplace without a maternity leave scheme, which would help more women remain part of the workforce.
If this is what we want we need to put constant pressure on the Govermnment for it ... What can we all do
- Your Rights At Work Email Campaign - Use their form to email prominent members of
- Join the GetUP! Paid Maternity Leave Campaign
- Join Marie Clare Push It Campaign
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