Members of the European Parliament have shown they are detached from the realities of the business world and are adding further burdens to employers in time of severe global competition, the Malta Employers Association said.

Following the outcome of the vote at the European Parliament which raises paid maternity leave to 20 weeks, the MEA said it was intensifying its efforts to transfer the cost of maternity leave to government.

The situation, they said, was worse in Malta, as, unlike in the rest of Europe, maternity leave was paid by the employer at full pay.

“The extension of such leave to 20 weeks will work against the objective of raising female employment,” the MEA said.

The association said that female candidates of child bearing age would suffer a serious disadvantage when they competed for the same jobs as male employees or older women.

Employers, the MEA said, also had to pay for accumulated leave during the maternity leave period.

This means that in effect, the total paid absence from work will be of 22 weeks. The MEA said that, to date, the government had not even honoured its budget proposal of three years ago to pay the 14th week of maternity leave.

“The budget measure stated clearly that the 14th week of maternity leave was to be paid by the government.

“However, the Department for Inland Revenue is interpreting this measure to mean that employers can only claim the NI of the 14th week.

“Under these circumstances, government should take measures to remove the burden of paid maternity leave from employers with immediate effect,” the MEA said.