Go Back
Commission for Advancement of Women praises amendments to regulations and conditions of maternity leave
pr1847
05/12/2001
05/12/2001
| The Commission for the Advancement of Women, within the Ministry for | Social Policy, wishes to express its satisfaction with OPM Circular No. 48/2001 that concerns amendments to the regulations and conditions of Maternity Leave. |
| The Circular establishes that women public officers | are allowed fourteen (14) weeks maternity leave (13 weeks paid and 1 week unpaid) to be availed of six (6) weeks compulsorily after confinement and eight weeks to be availed of before or after confinement, in contrast to the previous thirteen (13) weeks to be availed of eight (8) weeks before and five (5) weeks after confinement. |
| The flexibility introduced in the conditions of | Maternity Leave allows women to avail themselves of this benefit according to their needs and to the needs of their child. Considering the number of women officers who access this benefit (89 in July 2001), this flexibility will strengthen the effective reconciliation of working mothers’ family and work considerations, allowing a better harmonisation of women’s participation in the labour market and their role within the family. |
| The Circular further establishes that during | pregnancy and during the three months starting from the date of confinement, women officers may be given alternative duties where there is an occupational risk to their health and safety. These conditions are in line with The Protection of Maternity at Work Places Regulations 2000, that came into force on 1st January 2001, with the objective to protect pregnant or breastfeeding workers and safeguard the health of the child. |
| The Circular is also in line with international | developments in this field as it conforms to EU Directives and ILO Conventions dealing with gender issues, especially ILO Convention 3 on the management of maternity leave. |
| The Commission thus sees this initiative as another | family friendly measure that promotes the well-being of the family and as another step in the continuous series of positive action developments on the part of Government that facilitate the advancement of women in the public sphere. |
Share this Press Release
Other Press Releases:
PR261926
STQARRIJA MILL-UFFIĊĊJU TAL-PRIM MINISTRU “Sodisfatt bil-qbil bejn il-mexx...
PR261925EN
PRESS RELEASE BY THE MINISTRY FOR EUROPEAN FUNDS, SOCIAL DIALOGUE AND CONSU...
