18 weeks paid parental
leave a good start
29 September 2008
The Queensland Council of Unions has welcomed the
Productivity Commission’s interim report which calls for 18 weeks paid parental
leave plus two weeks paid paternity leave.
The QCU’s submission made earlier in the year sought a
minimum of 14 weeks and 9% superannuation and also advocated for a scheme which
allowed both parents to make decisions about the care of their
children.
QCU Assistant General Secretary Amanda Richards said the
scheme signalled a move in the right direction towards bringing financial relief
and security to many working families.
"We believe that it should always be up to both parents
to make decisions about how they care for their children and this scheme goes a
long way towards allowing parents to make those decisions free of financial
restrictions.
"The two weeks paid paternity leave which is available
to fathers and same-sex partners is also a welcome move and would alleviate
financial and emotional pressures in challenging times.
"Families are forced to make the difficult choice
between returning to work before they and their baby are ready or dropping to
one, or sometimes no, income at all.
"Plus, the mother needs time to recover from childbirth,
to adjust to motherhood and establish breastfeeding - one of the most important
contributions to the health and development of babies.
"This report acknowledges these important issues and
gives both parents a role in bonding and caring for their newborn when it is
most needed."
Ms Richards said that the scheme would be in addition to
any parental leave arrangements which already existed at individual
workplaces.
"We welcome this and would also call on employers to
continue to encourage and provide family-friendly policies in their workplaces
to attract and retain skilled workers.
"We understand this is an interim report but we feel the
Productivity Commission is moving in the right direction and the QCU will
continue to lobby for working families on these important
issues."
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