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4 August 2014 Edition

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GUE/NGL fights for rights of working mothers

• Inês Zuber MEP and Malin Björk MEP

Liadh Ní Riada, Lynn Boylan, Matt Carthy and Martina Anderson are MEPs and members of the GUE/NGL Group in the European Parliament

This is funded by the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) – Another Europe is possible

THE GUE/NGL European Union Parliamentary group has strongly defended women’s rights to maternity leave after the European Commission in July moved to withdraw the Maternity Leave Directive.

The aim of the draft directive (which has been stalled in the EU Council of Ministers for almost four years) is to strengthen women’s rights by ensuring 20 weeks of fully-paid maternity leave across the European Union, and to ensure women are protected on their return to work.

The impasse has been caused by a blocking minority of states made up of Ireland, Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Sweden, Malta and Latvia, who argued it would create an undue burden on businesses.

The directive also includes provisons for paternity leave and special arrangements for working parents with disabled children.

GUE/NGL logo

Portuguese GUE/NGL MEP Inês Zuber told a plenary debate in Strasbourg:

“We need to work harder to defend the rights of working mothers. That’s the only way we are going to combat the problem of ageing societies and low birth rates.

“As the dominant political forces are always talking about their social concerns, why don’t they explain to us why governments that belong to these same political forces don’t manage to increase women’s rights?”

GUE/NGL MEPs said there has been an increase in discrimination of women in the workplace because of pregnancy and the withdrawal of this directive flies in the face of the EU’s claims to stand for equality between men and women. The failure of the directive to include same-sex couples or other parenting models was also criticised by GUE/NGL.

Sweidsh GUE/NGL MEP Malin Björk said:

“Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker didn’t have a single word to say about equality. Inequality is growing between men and women. Women’s problems in the labour market are growing. Withdrawing maternity leave can’t be seen in any other way than patriarchal arrogance.”


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