November 7, 2011
Good news for parents
The PSA welcomes the Labour party’s commitment to extending paid parental leave to 26 weeks as an enlightened policy
that responds to today’s reality for working parents.
“Any improvement to paid parental leave is good news for parents and makes sense,” says PSA national secretary Brenda
Pilott.
“As a society we cannot ignore the fact that a high percentage of women with young children are in the workforce, and
for most this is an economic necessity.
“Supporting families with young children is an investment that reaps high returns. Children have a better start in life,
the economy retains women’s skills and, because parental leave can be shared, parents have greater choice in organising
their children’s care.”
Brenda Pilott says the PSA has, for many years, sought improvements to parental leave through collective bargaining.
“But it is hard to go beyond the framework set by legislation. Governments have a responsibility to ensure that social
policies are attuned to society’s actual needs”
ENDS