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Proposed Increase in Maternity Pay
Paid maternity leave could increase for the first 20 weeks for women in the UK if radical new plans, agreed by the European Parliament's women's committee, are passed through the European Parliament this week.
UK working mothers are at present permitted six weeks at 90% of average earnings followed by 33 weeks at £117.18, or 90% of average weekly earnings. An additional change for the UK, should the plans go through, would be the protection from redundancy or dismissal for the first six months of their return from maternity leave.
Recently the EU proposed to increase paid maternity leave to a higher rate for the first 18 weeks for mothers in member states, a move which the UK government claimed would cripple employers struggling to cope in the recession. However, it appears that the UK currently has one of the lowest maternity entitlements in the EU, third only to Greece and Luxembourg.
UK working mothers are at present permitted six weeks at 90% of average earnings followed by 33 weeks at £117.18, or 90% of average weekly earnings. An additional change for the UK, should the plans go through, would be the protection from redundancy or dismissal for the first six months of their return from maternity leave.
Recently the EU proposed to increase paid maternity leave to a higher rate for the first 18 weeks for mothers in member states, a move which the UK government claimed would cripple employers struggling to cope in the recession. However, it appears that the UK currently has one of the lowest maternity entitlements in the EU, third only to Greece and Luxembourg.
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Posted on 05 May 2009 by helen
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