EU plans maternity leave increase

The government yesterday expressed concern over plans within the EU to extend maternity leave that could force the Treasury to find an extra £2bn if they become law. Fears of additional costs followed a vote in the European Parliament's women's rights committee to extend maternity leave to 20 weeks, with six weeks on full pay. That compares with UK rules which give pregnant women a year off, of which six weeks are paid at 90% of the mother's average pay, followed by 33 weeks on statutory maternity pay of £123 a week. The rest is unpaid. The government warned that a big rise in paid maternity leave entitlement in Britain could upset the "delicate balance" struck by the current national system. Lord Young, the employment relations minister, said: "The commission's proposals are only at an early stage, but we do have concerns and are lobbying hard to get the right deal for the UK. We already have a generous system … balancing the needs of business and workers." The British Chambers of Commerce said the proposed changes would be costly during an economic downturn.