The Coalition
Government are apparently proposing to reduce current maternity
leave.
 Working
Families have launched a new campaign (see
below) to keep a minimum of 26 weeks and are conducting
a survey to get women’s views on how important it
is to retain the current provision. UNISON works with Working
Families and supports keeping the 26 week minimum standard.
We will be working with Maternity Action, the TUC and other
unions in a campaign (largely funded by UNISON’s GPF)
on this issue over the coming weeks/months.
Did you know that the Government are thinking of reducing
maternity leave to 18 weeks? We believe that six months
matters for Mums to recover from birth and prepare to return
to work.
Current law allows most women to return to work after two
weeks, but the presumption is that women will take 52 weeks’
leave unless they tell employers they want to come back
sooner. Under potential Government plans, the presumption
will be 18 weeks of leave after which you will have to negotiate
with your employer.
We’re campaigning for at minimum standard of 26 weeks
(six months) of maternity leave for all women and want to
know if six months matters/ed to you.
Whether you’re about to have a baby, are in the middle
of maternity leave or you’re back at work, we would
like to hear your stories.
What do you remember as the best bit of maternity leave?
When were you ready to organise childcare or negotiate
working patterns? When did you start getting any sleep?
And most critically, would you have been ready to return
to work after 18 weeks?
If you believe that six months maternity leave matters
for mums and babies, please help us:
1 Tell us your stories on Working Families
FACEBOOK page here
Upload your pictures of your baby between 4 and 6 months
and tell us
why six months mattered to you.
2 Take the NetMums survey this week here:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/maternityleavesurvey
3 And spread the word by emailing this message to six more
friends and ask them to tell us why six months mattered/s
to them
Thanks for all your help and please do follow our campaign
by ‘liking’ our facebook page
Working Families registered office:
1-3 Berry Street, London EC1V OAA
Tel: 020 7253 7243
Website: www.workingfamilies.org.uk
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