WORKING CONDITIONS : EP COMMITTEE TO EXTEND MATERNITY LEAVE.

• Position: European Parliament

Members of the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), with their adoption of a report by Edite Estrela (S&D, Portugal) at first reading, on 23 February, recommended a 20-week maternity leave and a two-week paternity leave. The plenary and the Council will still have to be convinced, though, which cannot be taken for granted. In May 2009, just before the European elections, the plenary sent back to committee the first Estrela report, which also proposed 20 weeks, arguing that a compromise on the report with the Council was impossible at first reading and that views varied too widely in the Parliament.

Estrela proposes to increase maternity leave from 14 to 20 consecutive weeks, of which six weeks must be taken after childbirth. Workers would be paid a full salary during this period at the level of the average salary in all member states. Estrela also recommends a paid leave of at least two weeks for fathers (without the obligation of marriage). Maternity and paternity leave should also apply to parents who adopt a child of less than 12 months, according to MEPs. The committee also adopted amendments to ban the dismissal of pregnant workers and to protect them from a change of duties after a maternity leave.

The Greens, advocates of this cause, welcomed the vote. Supported by the presence of a dozen or so fathers...