The Australian Greens have said that it’s time for the Labor Party to get serious about parental leave, making it an enforceable workplace entitlement with proper pay.
“If we acknowledge that pregnant women need more rights at work, including time off, then we should go all the way and legislate to make adequate leave a workplace entitlement with pay,” the Greens youth and childcare spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said today.
“The Fair Work Act should be amended to include guaranteed paid parental leave for a minimum of six months, with superannuation entitlements.
“The Greens already have a bill before the Senate to deliver this.
“Other countries are leading the way in this area, with Sweden offering new mothers 16 months of paid leave and Norway offering 46 weeks.
“We want to see the detail in the government’s latest announcement but we already know that if it’s not enforceable, it is not going to change things for mums and dads around the country.
“If it’s anything like the government’s recent announcements on flexible work entitlements it will mean nothing because it’s not enforceable.
“The Greens are willing to work with the government to fix this.”
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