As Malta Gets New Parental Leave Rights, David Casa Says More Should Have Been Done
Malta has transposed an EU work-life balance directive that grants more rights to parents, but PN MEP David Casa – who had a leading role to play in this directive – has raised a few concerns.
Earlier today, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue Andy Ellul announced details of the new law, that will come into force on 2nd August.
These are the details of the new law
•New fathers will be given ten days of paternity leave, up from the current two days, that must be taken within the first 15 days of their new baby’s birth
•Parents will be entitled to up to two months of paid parental leave each, at sick leave rates, that must be taken before the child’s eighth birthday. The leave will be split over eight years. As it stands, parental leave is unpaid, four months per parent and can be availed of in established periods of one month each.
•Carers’ leave will be introduced into the law, a period of five days of unpaid leave a year to medically look after relatives living in the same residence.
•The government will bear the expenses until 1st January 2024, after which the private sector will start financing the measures through the Maternity Leave Trust Fund.
•Parents will have the right to request flexible working arrangements until their children reach eight years of age.
Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul
Casa, who served as rapporteur on the European Parliament committee that drafted these proposals, welcomed the announcement as one that will improve families’ quality of life.
However, he criticised the government for opting for the “bare minimum” of rights outlined by the directive and for waiting until the last moment when it could have implemented it as early as 2019.
He also said the government should continue funding the leave measures and not move any costs onto the private sector.
“While the impact of the work life balance measures will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the economy, it was always my hope that it would be Government that funds such a vital step for our working families,” he said.
“We need more detail as to how this will be implemented.”
Do you think the new rights go far enough?
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
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