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Network Journal 2007 Issue 2 March/April |
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Parents’ rights in the campaign spotlight
Children of Usdaw members were treated to a special party at Westminster in March to thank MPs for backing the extension of paid maternity leave from six to nine months.
Usdaw has been a driving force behind a campaign to extend the right to claim maternity pay of £112.75 a week from six months to nine months for new mothers who want to spend more time at home with their babies.
"There's no doubt that for low paid retail workers this new right gives women the option to spend more time with their children rather being forced back to work because they can't pay the bills," said general secretary John Hannett.
"This Government has made family issues a priority over the last decade and since coming to power they have more than doubled maternity pay and leave making staying at home for nine months a real option for women in low paid work. This bold step will help to lift families out of poverty and give children a better start in life."
Usdaw rep Maria Luff is expecting her first baby in June and she told MPs how important this new right will be to her and her child. "This extension of paid maternity leave will give me more time at home with my new baby," she said. "It will get even better for parents in work from April 2009 when the period of paid leave rises from nine to 12 months. This will make a big difference to me and for thousands of other working mums."
Usdaw reps also lobbied MPs to extend the right to request flexible working to the parents of all school-age children by abolishing the present limit on requesting flexibility to parents of children aged six or under.
"Many of our members who care for older children need the right to ask to work flexibly because, after all, children don't stop needing their parents on their sixth birthday," said John Hannett. "Parenting remains demanding throughout childhood, far beyond the age of six and into adolescence. Our case is that the demands on parents change but they don't disappear.
"Usdaw believes extending the right to request flexible working will help hard working staff juggle their family and working lives as well as helping business avoid the unnecessary expense of replacing experienced staff."
To find out more about Usdaw's Supporting Parents and Carers campaign visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/campaigns/supportingparentsandcarers
TUC leader backs Parents' Spotlight Day
In the North West TUC general secretary Brendan Barber joined activists and officials in Blackpool to help out with the Spotlight Day.
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