Paid Parental Leave - Information from Your Union   

Paid parental leave ‘over my dead body', says Abbott

Published: 9/02/2010

Reports that Liberal leader Tony Abbott is considering a taxpayer-funded paid maternity leave scheme must be treated with extreme suspicion given his track record as a supporter of WorkChoices and previous hardline opponent of helping working mothers, say unions.
 
ACTU President Sharan Burrow said the Howard Government's WorkChoices had undermined pay and conditions for women, and it was simply not credible that Mr Abbott believed in supporting working mothers and would actually deliver on such a scheme.
 
She said that when it came to women in the workforce, Mr Abbott was an unreconstructed traditionalist who was now attempting to court the female vote.
 
"After years of entrenched views antagonistic to the interests of women, Tony Abbott is now trying to con the electorate," Ms Burrow said.
 
"His real views are contained in comments he has made in recent days that housework and ironing are the role of women.
 
"During his years as Employment Minister under John Howard, Mr Abbott never made any attempt to introduce a paid parental leave scheme. He is on record as opposing it."
 
In 2002, he told a Liberal Party function in Victoria:
 
"Compulsory paid maternity leave? Over this Government's dead body, frankly."
 
Ms Burrow said women fared extremely badly under WorkChoices, which took away job and income security, and made it harder for mothers to balance their work and family responsibilities.
 
"To its credit, the Rudd Government has committed to a fully-funded, universal scheme that will start next year," Ms Burrow said.
 
"Will Mr Abbott support this legislation - or block it, like he does with every positive initiative from the Government?
 
"We already know that Mr Abbott wants to re-introduce WorkChoices policies into Australian workplaces.
 
"Working parents simply cannot trust him to do the right thing."

 The ACTU and the union movement believes that paid maternity leave is a fundamental human right that should be provided to all mothers. It will benefit mothers, family, the economy and business.

Australia lags well behind the rest of the world in supporting new mothers. Over 157 nations around the world have some kind of paid maternity leave provision. The consequences of Australia not having paid maternity leave means that Australia has one of the lowest levels of workforce participation for women between the ages of 25 and 44 and is ranked 23 out of 24 OECD nations.

Australia and the United States are the only two OECD countries that do not offer paid maternity leave.

Two key campaign initiatives in Tasmania are:

• a workplace information kit (just being finalised)
  

• a community forum - Hobart 19th October

If you want to get involved or know more, contact Roz Madsen on rozm@aeutas.org.au

Please watch this paid maternity leave video petition.  video
The email action form referred to can be accessed here.

There are only two developed countries that don't have paid maternity leave - and Australia is one of them. This even leaves us lagging behind Tanzania, Iran, Burma and Djibouti.

Paid parental leave is not just about valuing the well-being and development of children; there is also an economic benefit in retaining people in the workforce and safeguarding the nation's future prosperity.
Isn't it time Australia caught up?

Well this is the chance we have long been waiting for - the Productivity Commission is finally looking into the issue.

Click here to sign the petition calling for a minimum of six months paid parental leave - and we'll deliver it direct to the Commission and the Government:

http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/AllTheOtherKidsAreDoingIt?dc=452,13149,1

If almost every other nation on earth can see the benefit - even the very poorest - then surely it's time for Australia to start looking after families. Australia currently leaves it up to the individual employer to decide - and those in the retail and service industries have almost no access to paid parental leave.

That's why a joint statement was signed yesterday by more than a dozen prominent Australian organisations advocating a minimum of six months paid parental leave. You can join us in the push for paid parental leave by clicking here:

http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/AllTheOtherKidsAreDoingIt?dc=452,13149,1

Change only happens in society if we can demonstrate enough of us demand the government get with the times.

You can help make this change by signing the petition today. If all the other kids are doing it, why can't we?

Thanks for being a part of the solution,
The GetUp team