Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2014-07-15-Speech-2-258-000"
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"en.20140715.11.2-258-000"2
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"Madam President, as we start a new term with Parliament and the Commission we are faced with an impasse from the last Parliament and we have a responsibility to find a solution. We simply must find compromise with the Council and, equally, the Council must find compromise with Parliament otherwise we have a dysfunctional system.
Furthermore just as we Members of the European Parliament nailed our colours to the mast when we voted either for or against this directive, I believe Member States who are part of the blocking minority need to explain to their citizens, both women and men, why they are blocking a Maternity Leave Directive that would help guarantee equality of treatment for mothers and babies across the EU. I totally oppose the withdrawal of this directive and I am pleased that the Council will work to ensure its adoption.
Personally I support the proposal for 20 weeks’ paid leave. After all, that is the norm in this Parliament. Are we saying that other women deserve less? Indeed this directive will support many women who are lower paid and not in permanent and pensionable jobs. This directive also protects pregnant women against discrimination and helps to ensure the health and safety of mothers and newborns. It also makes a huge contribution to achieving a core principle of EU policy: that is the achievement of gender equality and the elimination of the gender pay gap.
But as I said earlier, we need to find compromises. Perhaps there could be some flexibility in the 20-week period of leave, only in that there could be some interchange between maternity and paternity leave to cater for national preferences, and perhaps some flexibility as to the time taken before and after birth. Also, perhaps some lead time towards a 20-week fully paid maternity leave. But there should be no question that this directive would lower standards in Member States that already have higher standards.
It is crucial that we achieve compromises on these issues, otherwise it languishes in a sort of limbo and many pregnant women in the EU will not have the possibility of a reasonable time frame of paid maternity leave and strong protection in their jobs when pregnant or breastfeeding."@en1
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"on behalf of the ALDE group."1
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