Australia and United States are the only countries do not offer paid maternity leave. Really, I can not understand how other countries, small or big, poor or rich, developed or not developed can pay maternity leave and Australia can not!

Australian Union Movement has fought for paid maternity leave but two-thirds of women, the low income women, do not take it. According to SA Unions the ILO recommended standard of 14 weeks
was only found in one federal award for reserve bank employees.. http://www.saunions.org.au

According to Elizabeth Broderick federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Sharan Burrow president of the ACTU and Heather Ridout chief executive of the Australian Industry Group(represents more than 10.000 employers)paid maternity leave is not a bonus, it is about a right to paid leave for working mothers recovering from childbirth to help establish breastfeeding and for all-important bonding to occur.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/maternity-scheme-is-overdue/2008/04/07/1207420296235.html

ALP government asked the Productivity Commission to look at the economic and social costs and benefits of paid maternity, paternity and parental leave. The Productivity Commission is accepting submissions up until 2 June. The Commission is to report by February 2009. The Commission is to hold public hearings and seek public submissions for the purpose of the inquiry and is to produce a report for public release by government.
http://www.nfaw.org/media/2008/08-02-18.html

Everyone who supports paid maternity should make a submission to make sure their voices are heard.
SUBMIT NOW! http://www.rightsatwork.com.au/campaigns/itslongoverdue

Minimum Paid maternity leave
The ILO minimum paid maternity leave is 14 weeks and Australian Union Movement would recommend the same provision for Australia.

Who pay the maternity leave?
The ACTU proposes a national system of 14 weeks paid maternity leave at full income replacement.

In Union's model, the Federal Government would fund a maternity leave scheme of at least 14 weeks, paid at federal minimum wage rates plus 9% superannuation for all women including those who don't work. Employers would contribute a top-up payment to fully replace the income of working women who earn more than the minimum wage.

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Like I said on another post, If you cannot afford to have children, don't and do not expect the cost of your sexual pecidilos to be born by everyone else.

WORDS FROM THE TWILIGHT ZONE.....da da da

"including those who don't work. Employers would contribute a top-up payment to fully replace the income of working women who earn more than the minimum wage."

WHAT planet are you on Antonios?

"EMPLOYERS top up"... myyyyy GOODness.. if you want to make me hysterical..that's the way to do it!

But what's this about 'WOMEN WHO DON'T WORK' getting PAID maternity leave? Is this the result of some people taking the strong end of the spectrum of recreational drugs or are they just insane?

err..if that's the case 'who' is their 'employer' ?

This is clearly a socialist plot to bring down the West.
I regard it as seditious.

Dear Antonios,

As the recent article in 'The Age,' March 23, 2008 pointed out:

"The endless debate about paid maternity leave in Australia - among OECD countries, only Australia and the US do not have paid leave - has become an embarrassment, with lingering notions that somehow raising children is an entirely private affair.

It is predominantly a personal matter, but the argument has been well won that children are a community responsibility, too. How they are raised, and how well, is important for all of us and the evidence is clear that small babies in particular - as well as their mothers -
benefit from full-time care at home.

In the modern era, with most mothers working at least part-time, who should pay for women to stay at home in the crucial first weeks?
It's time - it's beyond time - that Australian women had government-paid maternity leave. It is a question of equity."

As 'The Age' reports, only one-third of Australian women have access to paid maternity leave - and they are mostly educated, professional, higher-paid women working in large companies or in the public service.

Women in less skilled or less secure work - hospitality workers, for instance - get nothing.

Successive governments have failed to act on it. The Howard government ignored what appeared to be a sound plan to introduce maternity leave, favouring instead the baby bonus that now costs the taxpayer several hundred million dollars a year. Crucially, the baby bonus is paid whether women are at home or in the workforce.

The whole idea of maternity leave is to allow a woman to stay at home for the first few weeks of her baby's life. The Rudd Government has put the issue on hold while the Productivity Commission undertakes a review that reports next year.

Let's hope that something comes out of
the review because the losers in this are not just the families involved, but our entire society.

.

BOAZ_David,
"if you want to make me hysterical..that's the way to do it!"
Try to understand me!
1. Most countries worldwide pay 100% on the basic wage/salary of employees. There are not many countries which pay less. I know few countries, they are small, Meddle East poor countries. The Australia Union Movement does not ask for 20, 50 or 100 weeks (some countries pay much more than 14 weeks) but ONLY the minimum, 14 weeks. If you blamed the Union because asks for the very basics I could understand you but you think they want very much! Do you try to make me hysterical?
The cost of this to employers has been calculated nationally. If small business was exempt from this levy then the cost to larger business would be around $1.50 per week.
2. In South Australia 30% of employees are casual from them 61% are women. Do you want to exempt the casual pregnant women? Do you want to exempt the low income pregnant women? Do you want to exempt the pregnant women who need it most of all? NO!
3. BOAZ_David stop to be negative! It is not for me but for our mothers, sisters, wifes, daughters or granddaughters.
According to EOWA, paid maternity leave is increasingly seen by employers to benefit their organisation by:
Increasing the number of employees returning to work after maternity leave;
Reducing recruitment and training costs;
Improving staff morale and productivity;
Providing a cost-effective means of retaining skilled staff; and
Improving organisational efficiency through the benefits of long service, eg, institutional memory, industry knowledge, networks and contacts.
http://www.eowa.gov.au/About_Equal_Opportunity/Key_Agenda_Items/Work_Life_Balance/Paid_Maternity_Leave.asp
Do you remember in an other thread what Pericles wrote about Mayer? He did not know that the Mayer already pay maternity leave because they know that of cause it 90% of their employees will return work.
4. BOAZ_David paid maternity leave is good for Australian families, Australian society, for our country. I know some persons who do not like migrants or Muslims very much but who do not like to encourage and support women for more children.
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Col Rouge,
First I am very sorry because I did not reply to you in other threads but really my time is not enough, I work 7 days per week and I am very busy, I tried 1-2 times but the system stopped me, I can not post many per day.
1. You are a hard person and I do not know how to change your mind!
Do you want a better future for Australia, for our world? If yes. Then we must create the best possible conditions for the children, for all the children.
2. Do you live alone far from other people or with other people? If you live with other people, in a city or town then you know that others problems sooner or later will become our problems, we care for the others because we care for our self.
3. The children are not cars, tools or property, they could add value, they could create value, they could bring our country, world, up-down. Do not underestimate the children, do not leave them alone, we (as society) have responsibilities for the children, for next generations.
A happy pregnant, a happy mother can create a happy child, a happy citizen, a happy society. The happiness is the base of democracy, the guard of troubles and instability. If you want to create responsible, mature people try to find the right way but do not be hard to pregnant women and MAINLY TO INNOCENT CHILDREN! Let's give the paid maternity leave! If the most conservatives in the most poor and non developed countries support the paid maternity leave then all Australians should support it.
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide
regards
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide