CMTU welcomes EP's approval of maternity leave extension

The Confederation of Malta Trade Unions (CMTU) has welcomed the European Parliament’s approval of a proposal to grant 20 weeks of fully paid maternity leave to all new mothers across the EU, and two weeks of paid paternity leave for fathers to spend with their new born. 

In a statement, the CMTU said that the new measure will also make the first six weeks of the maternity leave compulsory.  The CMTU congratulated EU lawmakers on the fact that although the European Commission did not include paternity leave in its proposal, the EP amended the measure to give new fathers two weeks of paid leave to spend with their newborns.

The CMTU said that it is aware of the fact that the measure will return to the European Parliament for a final vote after individual governments from the EU’s 27 Member States approve it and it will become law only after getting the European Parliament's seal of approval. 

The CMTU urged the Maltese government to support the proposal when it is presented to the Council of Ministers, as it is an important family-friendly measure that would greatly assist in increasing Malta’s rapidly declining birth rate.

Currently, the length of maternity leave differs across the European Union. While Bulgaria offers the longest paid maternity leave at 45 weeks, new mothers in Germany and Malta get 14 weeks, France 16, and Belgium 15 weeks.