Usdaw calls on Labour for improved maternity leave

Shopworkers’ union, Usdaw, called on the Government to increase paid maternity leave at the Labour Party Conference today.

The union is asking for paid maternity and adoption leave to be extended to twelve months within the lifetime of the current Parliament.

John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary, spoke at the conference. John said:

“This Government has made significant progress on promoting and extending family friendly employment. The best way of lifting children out of poverty is to help parents to earn a living and enable them to balance their caring and work responsibilities.

“The commitment to extend paid maternity and adoption leave to twelve months in order to extend the support available to new parents will enable more parents to give consistent one-to-one care during the important first year of the child’s life. We call on the Government to stand by its stated goal of implementation within the lifetime of this Parliament, and to give clarity and enable businesses to plan ahead, we want an implementation timetable for this.

“The Government’s recent publication of the consultation on extending the right to request flexible working to parents of older children in April 2009 is another considerable step forward, which will help working parents to support their children throughout their school years.”

Visit our Supporting Parents and Carers Campaign area.

Notes to Editors:

• Contacts for newsdesks: Usdaw’s Media Officer, Cherry Hamilton, can be contacted on 0161 249 2469 or e-mail cherry.hamilton@usdaw.org.uk
• Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK’s fourth biggest trade union, with over 367,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
• More information and news releases are available at our online Newsroom.
• Subscribe/unsubscribe to Usdaw news releases via our online e-news service at: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/site/email.html

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© 2003 (USDAW) Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
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