(Brussels 08 May 2009) The European Federation for Public Service workers (EPSU) fully shares the European Trade Union Confederation’s (ETUC) disappointment at the no-vote in Parliament on 6 May on a report to improve the protection of pregnant workers and young mothers in Europe.
Due to the opposition by the conservative (EPP) and liberal (ALDE) groups in the European Parliament, the report by Portuguese Socialist MEP Edite Estrela , on the Commission’s revision of the pregnant workers’ directive, was unable to receive a positive hearing. The Estrela report sought to improve the health and safety protection for pregnant workers, as well as to improve the conditions of maternity leave.
The report also proposed to introduce a right to paid paternity leave in Europe, which the European employers’ organizations have recently blocked during the negotiations of the revised parental leave agreement.
This no-vote means the debate on the maternity directive will have to be restarted after the EU elections, thus postponing further any positive result for pregnant women.
EPSU General Secretary Carola Fischbach-Pyttel expressed frustration that these fundamental rights for women were being ignored by certain political parties. She stated that; “Ahead of the European elections this June, we urge our members, more than 60% of whom are women, to make their voice heard and vote for the candidates that support a real democratic, social and progressive agenda for both women and men.”
ETUC press release in Eng and FR
For more information contact Brian Synnott at [email protected] or
+32 474 98 96 75
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"EPSU is the European Federation of Public Service Unions. It is the largest federation of the ETUC. 8 million public service workers from over 200 trade unions are members. They organise workers in the energy, water and waste sectors, health and social services and local and national administration ".
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