The call for evidence was jointly launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), as part of Labour’s manifesto commitments to make work pay. The Parental Leave and Pay Review is expected to run for 18 months and will examine how the current system can be improved to meet the needs of modern families, while supporting economic growth.
In the initial call for evidence, the Government asked respondents to provide a view on whether the current system met these four objectives:
• Providing sufficient time off work with adequate pay to support maternal health.
• Supporting economic growth through labour market participation by enabling more parents to stay in work and advance in their careers, including reducing the gender pay gap.
• Ensuring adequate resources and leave for parents to facilitate the best start in life by supporting the healthy development of young children.
• Providing parents the flexibility to make balanced childcare choices, including co-parenting.
Usdaw’s full response: www.usdaw.org.uk/ParentalRightsReview
Joanne Thomas – Usdaw general secretary says: “The current statutory framework of rights and pay, inherited by Labour, does not meet any of the objectives that Ministers have set out in this very welcome review. That means there is much to be done to introduce valuable workplace rights for parents and Usdaw will fully participate in this process to achieve that. Today’s extension of free childcare to 30 hours is very welcome, but there remain concerns that providers can recruit enough staff to deliver the commitment.
“Usdaw has a strong track record of negotiating improved rights for working parents and carers, but our scope can be limited by the current lack of rights, which is failing millions of working parents. It needs replacing with a system that builds on the best practice in today’s labour market; supports all parents to make meaningful decisions about how they combine paid work with care; reduces pregnancy and maternity discrimination; promotes gender equality and closes the gender pay gap.
“At the very least, pay and leave rights must be accessible to all regardless of employment status, available from day one and be fairly paid. Pay is crucial for low-income workers, who often cannot afford to take all of their current statutory entitlements. Usdaw looks forward to contributing to the review and we will continue to seek wider reforms, including improvements to childcare and flexible working
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion