No To Paternity Leave? Maltese MEP Urges Government To Foot The Bill As Employers Pledge Not To Pay A Cent
A Maltese MEP has appealed to Maltese businesses and the government to find a way of following a new EU Directive that would grant up to 10 days of parental leave for fathers when their child is born.
The directive, which has been criticised by local employers as well as unions as being vague about who would pay for the leave, was led and negotiated by MEP David Casa.
“I do understand the business community being skeptical about providing additional rights to parents,” he said in a comment to Lovin Malta. “But when it comes to paternity leave, for example, we are speaking about 10 days of leave for fathers when a child is born. From the perspective of the employee this constitutes a right that on average would be used once or twice during these crucial times in a worker’s life.”
“We also ensured that second parents in same-sex relationships would be able to make use of this right,” he continued.
In response to criticism that the financial burden would have to be picked up by employers, Casa called on the government to step in and shoulder the responsibility, saying it was “crucial that businesses not be stifled”.
“My strong appeal to the Maltese government is to ensure that the financial cost of these measures does not fall on business. But I also appeal to the business community to take account of the positive long-term impact of the directive. The rights of workers must increase alongside a better performing economy,” he said.
As it stands, employees are currently allowed one day of paid leave in the case of a child’s birth.
Aside from the 10-day paternity leave, the ‘Work Life Balance Directive’ also introduces new rights such as five-day carer’s leave for workers who need to take care of ill relatives, as well as new flexible working arrangements.
“This is difficult news to deal with” – GRTU
Maltese employers have come out against EU directive, with the Malta Employers’ Association saying it would “resist” anything that added a financial burden to Maltese employers.
“The MEA shall strongly resist any further financial burdens on employers, and insist that, in line with many other countries, it is government who has to finance such social services,” they said in a statement.
Similarly, GRTU CEO Abigail Mamo said that employers already had a big burden dealing with employee absence, and this would only contribute to it.
“The absence of these employees from work already creates a big difficulty for businesses, even if one had to exclude the cost. We reiterate that in the context of already scarce human resources, this is difficult news to deal with,” she told the Times of Malta.
You can find David Casa’s full statement below
“I do understand the business community being skeptical about providing additional rights to parents. But when it comes to paternity leave, for example, we are speaking about 10 days of leave for fathers when a child is born. We also ensured that second parents in same-sex relationships would be able to make use of this right. From the perspective of the employee this constitutes a right that on average would be used once or twice during these crucial times in a worker’s life.”
“In comparison to far more generous parental rights in many member states, for Malta, implementing these minimum standard, is an important step in the right direction. The directive does not establish how these leaves will be paid because this would go beyond our competence. It is also a matter of subsidiarity, which we have always respected.”
“My strong appeal to the Maltese government is to ensure that the financial cost of these measures does not fall on business. But I also appeal to the business community to take account of the positive long-term impact of the directive. Fostering a better sharing of caring responsibilities between men and women will be beneficial to the economy and play a role in reducing the gender employment gap that costs the EU in excess of €370 bn per year, according to Eurofound figures. The higher than average gap in Malta means we that we have more to gain than other member states through a reduction in this gap and by assisting women in reaching their full potential in the workplace. “
“The rights of workers must increase alongside a better performing economy. It is one clear way in which the benefits of economic growth can be felt by all citizens. But it is crucial that business not be stifled and that any short term consequences be mitigated. The directive that I negotiated contains numerous safeguards to prevent the disruption of the proper functioning of a business and to remove unnecessary administrative burdens that would have been created by the directive. I look forward to discussing more precisely what has been negotiated in this directive, and the positive impact it will have, together with the business community as well as unions in the coming days and weeks.”
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