Martyn Jones

Labour Party | Clwyd South

Tories Call It A Burden, To Mothers It’s A Relief

MARTYN JONES, MP for Clwyd South is backing the extra three months paid maternity leave to mothers and is supporting the new Government consultation document that sets out to provide parents with more flexibility in balancing their work and family responsibilities. 

As of April 2007, maternity and adoption pay will be increased from six to nine months, giving working mothers an extra £1,400.  Current legislation permits maternity leave for up to twelve months, but only six of the twelve months are paid for by employers.   

The new Government consultation, the Work and Families: Choice and Flexibility document, extends the right to maternity leave by proposing a new right allowing mothers to transfer a proportion of their maternity leave and pay to fathers.

Commenting on the proposal, Mr. Jones said:

“In order to give children the best start in life it is imperative to give parents more choice and flexibility in managing their work responsibilities.”

The Government regards flexible working to be beneficial to children, parents, and businesses alike.  Flexibility provides children with the parental attention needed in the first year of life, allows parents to find a workable schedule so as to tend to their parental responsibilities, and enables businesses to access new skills and talent while maintaining a positive employee attitude and morale.

Mr. Jones said:

“While the Tories continue to oppose Labour’s efforts to assist hard working families, as they regard the pay increase and new proposals as new burdens on business, the Work and Families: Choice and Flexibility document sets out to harmonise the needs of parents and employers so as to provide an outcome that is best for both parties.”

Current legislation addresses the need of both parents and employers by encouraging discussion between employee and employer to reach a flexible working pattern.  The new Government consultation will go farther to give extra assistance to small businesses by simplifying the administration of maternity leave and pay and by increasing certainty as to when employees will return to work.

Supporting family friendly working rights and looking to expand and improve those rights is of important interest to Mr. Jones.  Where the Tories see such rights as a burden, Labour plan to embrace the creation of new rights, with such new rights including extending work flexibility to carers of sick and disabled adults and to parents of older children. 

“I support the rights for working families now and will continue to support such rights including the Government’s goal to further increase the pay period from nine months to a full year by the end of the next Parliament.”