Brussels, 07/05/2009
The report on the Commission proposals, prepared by the socialist MEP Mrs Estrela, included important provisions aiming to improve the health and safety protection for pregnant workers and their unborn child, as well as to improve the conditions of maternity leave.
As the EP has failed to vote on the report and referred it back to the responsible committee, the debate has to start all over again after the EP elections. ETUC highly regrets this outcome. Once again, the conservatives in the EP seem to be unwilling to take action in favour of women workers’ rights and reconciliation of work and family life, despite all the lip-service that they often pay to the importance of defending women, children and families. The outcome is the more surprising, as at the same time a report was adopted by the Parliament, prepared by the MEP from the EPP-DE group Mrs Lulling, to improve the maternity protection of self-employed women.
Said Catelene Passchier, ETUC Confederal Secretary: ‘In our view, an important opportunity has been missed to improve the situation of millions of pregnant women and young mothers. It is very urgent, taking into account demographic change, the falling birth rates and the increased labour market participation of women, to provide women and men with the necessary conditions for raising families. Strong health and safety protection of women during their pregnancy and adequate leave facilities after giving birth are an indispensable part of this. We urge all the political groups in the EP to work together in a more constructive manner to improve minimum levels of protection at EU level on maternity and paternity, and the Commission and Council to support this without ambiguity’.
ETUC Positions on this subject
See also the ETUC Position on the revision of the Pregnant workers Directive of January 2009 as sent to the European Parliament and its committees, as well as the ETUC Position on the second stage consultation of social partners on the review of Directive 86/613/EEC (protection of self-employed women during pregnancy and motherhood).