Updated - Chamber, MHRA disagree on maternity leave extension

Updated - Adds comments on video -

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association this evening disagreed with government proposals to extend maternity leave by four weeks.

The issue was discussed at a meeting of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, a week after it was announced in the Budget.

Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said, who represented the government, said afterwards that the extension will still go ahead from January but the government will further discuss implimentation.

The representatives of the two organisations said that since 60% of women of child bearing age are already in employment, this measure will not really serve to encourage women to go out to work.

The government has said maternity leave will be extended by two weeks from this January and another two weeks from January 2013. The government will pay a flat rate of €166 per week to the mothers.

Earlier today the GRTU said it backed the government's proposal because the payment of four weeks of maternity leave by the government would include self-employed mothers, the first time this would happen.

The Malta Employers Association had said it agreed with the proposal as long as the government shouldered the costs.