FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Paid Maternity Leave - the missing link!
Women's groups call for implementation of HREOC proposals
10 December 2002
'An essential first step' is the response of many women to proposals for government supported paid maternity leave, released today by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Ms Pru Goward. The YWCA, WETTANK and the Sole Parent Union believe the proposals will provide the vital missing link between current programs designed to help mothers not in paid work and those at work by recognising the need for and importance of taking paid leave
.'The proposals are a critical recognition for those women who combine mothering and paid work. The HREOC proposal is built extensive process of consultation and will be the first time that employers, unions and community organisations have jointly supported such proposals. This will, in fact be the first real recognition by this government of the need for funding family friendly workplace supports and an exciting step forward for working women’, said Eva Cox of WETTANK (Women’s Economic Think Tank).
‘This proposal offers a significant statement of recognition of the importance of bearing children and societies role in supporting families’, said Ms Fiona Jolly President of the YWCA of Australia. ‘We are also pleased the recommendations from HREOC will include recognition of young women’s increasingly fractured working lives, taking account for part-time and contract work’.
Kathleen Swinbourne of the Sole Parent Union welcomed the proposal as being particularly significant for low income women. ‘Too many casuals and others with little bargaining power have been left out and these proposals will offer them some parity with higher income women who have already negotiated eligibility.’
Similar positions are being expressed by many other groups, including the unions and some employer groups. These recognise that funded paid maternity leave will take the pressure off small employers and create better equity for all women.
For more information please contact: Erica Lewis 0412 409 514
For media comment please contact:
Eva Cox - 02 9660 3028
Kathleen Swinbourne - 0412158314
Issued by The Women’s Economic Think Tank; YWCA of Australia and the Sole Parent Union
Some statistical material
Briefing notes - paid maternity leave
The HREOC proposal offers the less costly (and more politically acceptable) option of capping government payments at the minimum wage ($431.00pw). This leaves open the possibilities of using the award system for employer top up. Were the HREOC proposal to succeed they would be of major benefit to many hundreds of thousands of women, currently not eligible for any income replacement when they take maternity leave
According to ABS statistics (Income Distribution 2000), the offer of replacement up to the minimum wage level for those with substantial work records in the previous year, including casuals, will meet the ILO standard. It will cover most of those who are not currently covered by agreements to 100% for those earning up to the minimum wage and at least the 66% level for most up to female AWE. The figures, if the calculations are done by occupation show 75% to 90% of women in lower clerical work, labouring and tradespeople, will benefit. The groups that appear to lose out are often already covered: professionals, managers and advanced clerical workers (ABS cat 6306 p19 May 2000). Even in these categories, the casuals and part timers, who are less likely to be covered. They are likely to be well compensated by this system.
These figures below have been copied from the published submissions to HREOC from three government departments (PMC, FaCS, DWERSB). These are based on unpublished data from another ABS survey Forms of Employment Nov 2001 (cat 6359)
- the highest incidence of paid maternity leave was recorded in the following occupations: Managers and Administrators (65 per cent) and Professionals (54 per cent)
- the lowest incidence of paid maternity leave was recorded in the following occupations: Elementary Clerical, Sales and Service Workers (18 per cent) and labourers and related workers (21 per cent) and access to paid maternity leave was higher the greater an employee’s length of service with an employer.
- a higher proportion of part-time employees were without leave entitlements (64%) than full-time employees (12%);
These figures show that many low income women would have no current eligibility for any form of maternity leave and little likelihood of gaining it through bargaining. It is these types of employees who will gain substantially from any successful proposal for paid maternity leave.
Prepared by WETTANK to inform discussion