Raül Romeva i Rueda

REFLEXIONS PERISCÒPIQUES

Votació permís maternitat/paternitat UE: hem salvat els mobles


Al final, després de mesos de treball, debats, discussions i decepcions, la votació d’avui de l’informe Estrela ens ha donat una petita satisfacció, insuficient però benvinguda.

COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE – Estrasburgo el 20 de octubre

Prolongación del permiso de maternidad de 14 a 20 semanas

Verdes/ALE aplauden que las madres europeas tengan más derechos, aunque menos de los que merecen

El PE se ha pronunciado sobre la extensión del permiso de maternidad a un mínimo en la UE de 14 a 20 semanas, con una remuneración equivalente al 100% del último sueldo de la madre. De esas 20 semanas de baja, los diputados proponen que seis sean obligatorias después del parto. La comisión de Derechos de la Mujer también exige a los Estados miembros un permiso de paternidad obligatorio de dos semanas.

Tras el voto de esta mañana del Informe sobre la Revisión de la Directiva relativa a los derechos de las madres trabajadoras en la UE, el vicepresidente de Verdes/ALE y ponente en la sombra del informe, Raül Romeva i Rueda (ICV), ha manifestado lo siguiente:

“Finalmente este Parlamento ha hecho un poco de justicia para con las madres trabajadoras de la Unión Europea, aunque no toda la que se merecen.  Ha sido un proceso largo. Ya a finales del mandato pasado estuvimos a punto de aprobar, en este Parlamento, un texto que hubiera significado un salto de gigante en favor de los derechos de las mujeres trabajadoras madres. No pudimos votar porque PPE y Liberales se aliaron en su contra y decidieron devolver el informe a la Comisión FEMM.

Tras meses de trabajo hoy hemos votado nuevamente un texto que, sin ser tan ambicioso como el anteriormente rechazado por PPE y Liberales, es significativamente valiente: permite a las mujeres mantener su sueldo durante el periodo de maternidad, fortalece su protección legal contra el despido, permite mayor flexibilidad horaria para compatibilizar mejor la maternidad con el trabajo, amplia el permiso de maternidad hasta, al menos, 20 semanas (aunque algunas y algunos hubiéramos querido que fueran 24, como recomienda la OMS), facilita la movilidad de las mujeres trabajadoras en la UE, y avanza, aunque no tanto como algunas y algunos quisiéramos, en la corresponsabilidad de los padres.

Sin embargo, deben saber las madres y los padres europeos que si este texto no es más ambicioso se debe a algunos grupos de la cámara siguen anclados en la anacrónica idea de que eso de tener hijos es, simplemente, una responsabilidad que atañe sólo a las mujeres, y no de la sociedad en su conjunto, como algunas y algunos defendemos. Felicitémonos pues, de momento, pero no bajemos la guardia”.

 

A continuació exposo els motius (10 raons) pels quals defenso la postura que he defensat fins ara:

10 reasons

to vote for properly paid maternity and paternity leave

 

1. Proper maternity and paternity leave is a sensible investment in the economy

If the EU wants to reach its goal of 75% labour participation in 2020, many women need to enter the labour market. Paid maternity and paternity leave are crucial to reconcile having children and work. As the impact assessment showed, a mere 1,04% increase in female labour participation already covers the costs of the proposal for 20 weeks paid maternity leave and 2 weeks paid paternity leave.

 

2. Minimum EU standards for leave establish an EU-wide level playing field

Workers need to have a decent level of social protection during pregnancy and after giving birth, regardless of the EU country they work in. Member States or companies should not compete on social conditions. By setting a common minimum standard for maternity and paternity leave, we avoid false competition and we make sure that all workers everywhere in the EU know what they can expect.

 

3. Proper maternity leave improves the health of babies

The WHO recommends 26 weeks maternity leave, so women can fully breastfeed their babies in that time, with enormous health advantages for a baby’s immune system. Possibilities to combine breastfeeding with work are not sufficient. Over half the new mothers find their milk flow simply dries out under stressful working conditions. 20 weeks is not much to ask for the sake of newborn children.

 

4. Proper maternity leave protects the health of women

Most women need time to physically and mentally recover from giving birth, breastfeeding and the experience of being a new mother. In Member States that lag behind in social protection of parents and children, mothers get as few as 14 weeks or hardly any compensation while on leave. They are either forced to return to work too early, or have to take up sick leave, which in most Member States is more expensive to businesses than leave.

 

5. Maternity and paternity leave should be available to all, rich and poor

Full or nearly full payment during maternity and paternity leave is necessary to make sure that rich and poor people can both take it up. If maternity leave is unpaid or the compensation is low, women with lower incomes might have insufficient means to recover properly after childbirth.

 

6. Female providers should be able to take up maternity leave

If the compensation during maternity leave is too low, female breadwinners cannot take it up. Only women whose salaries don’t matter for the household income can take leave in that case. Those whose families depend on their income to pay the mortgage have to go back to work almost immediately.

 

7. Pregnancy must not widen the existing gender pay gap

In the EU, on average, women earn 17% less than men. If we do not guarantee a decent level of payment during maternity leave, women are punished in their earnings for having children. This will widen instead of narrow the gender pay gap.

 

8. Paternity leave increases fathers’ involvement in the care for children

If we want more women in the labour market, it is essential that fathers take on more of the caring duties for children. Paternity leave is an important way of promoting this. Recent research has shown that if a father takes paternity leave immediately after the birth of his baby, this increases his involvement in the care for the baby considerably in the months and years after. That is favourable for mothers, fathers, children and gender equality.

 

9. Finding substitution is easier when maternity leave is longer

For employers, it is often easier to find a substitute for 20 weeks than it is for 14 weeks. With 20 weeks, it pays to introduce a substitute worker properly to the job and it affords time to start and finish a project. This also has an activation advantage; leave substitution is a good way for someone who is unemployed to get into the workforce again with no strings attached for the employer. For many people, this is how they find a new job.

 

10. An ageing society needs policies that enable care for young and older persons

The EU is facing a demographical challenge. The demand for care will increase, while the number of people providing this care will decrease. The better our leave schemes are, the more people will feel that having children is compatible with their work and their care responsibilities for other family members.

 

Font foto: Romeva just abans de votar la Directiva Maternitat



  1. Benvolgut Raül,
    Moltes gràcies per la feina feta, com sempre tan ben feta, i felicitats pel nou èxit. Justament fa quatre mesos que vaig ser mare i me’n feia creus de com podien la OMS i la Generalitat recomanar que s’alimentés exclusivament de llet materna els nadons fins a 6 mesos, i en canvi la obligació de tornar a treballar al cap de 4. No tenia sentit!
    Tinc però una pregunta: quan s’implementarà la directiva als Estats membres?

  2. Gràcies per ser la nostra veu al Parlament Europeu. No és la millor sol·lució, però anem pel bon camí. Els parlamentaris no són pares i mares?? No se’ls hi trenca el cor de deixar el fill a l’escola bressol o amb algú altre que no sigui la seva mare amb 5 mesos?
    Mare treballadora (és necessari renunciar a alguna d’aquestes facetes?)

  3. En relació a les preguntes de quan serà efectiva le llei us faig saber que tot just hem votta en primera lectura. Ara toca que el Consell (governs 27 estats) deliberi i arribi a un acord. Quan el tinguin ens el faran arribar al PE que haurem de votar en segona lectura.

    No prevec que el COnsell es manifesti abans de finals d’any, tot i que mai se sap.

    Cordialment.

    Raül

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