This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/8533438.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| EU plans extended maternity leave | EU plans extended maternity leave |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Draft legislation has been passed by a committee of the European Parliament to extend maternity leave across Europe to 20 weeks on full pay. | Draft legislation has been passed by a committee of the European Parliament to extend maternity leave across Europe to 20 weeks on full pay. |
| Current European rules give pregnant women 14 weeks leave fully paid. | Current European rules give pregnant women 14 weeks leave fully paid. |
| In the UK, pregnant women get a year off, with the first six weeks on 90% pay, followed by 33 weeks on Statutory Maternity Pay. The rest is unpaid. | In the UK, pregnant women get a year off, with the first six weeks on 90% pay, followed by 33 weeks on Statutory Maternity Pay. The rest is unpaid. |
| The 20-week proposals will now go before the full European Parliament in early March. | |
| There are concerns that employers could discriminate against women of a child-bearing age if the rules are passed. | There are concerns that employers could discriminate against women of a child-bearing age if the rules are passed. |
| The UK's Employment Relations Minister Lord Young expressed his doubts about the proposals. | The UK's Employment Relations Minister Lord Young expressed his doubts about the proposals. |
| "We already have a generous system which is better than many European Union countries and works well, balancing the needs of businesses and workers," he said. | "We already have a generous system which is better than many European Union countries and works well, balancing the needs of businesses and workers," he said. |
| "A substantial increase in maternity leave paid at full or near-full pay risks undermining this delicate balance at a time when economies across the EU can least afford it." | "A substantial increase in maternity leave paid at full or near-full pay risks undermining this delicate balance at a time when economies across the EU can least afford it." |