Objections were expressed by the Minister and by DISY MPs Fotini Tsiridou and Onoufrios Koullas, regarding the proposal for two additional weeks after the expiry of maternity leave.
It will be recalled that proposals had been tabled by the Committee to the relevant Ministry to extend the period during which a father is entitled to apply for the two weeks of paternity leave, within a period of up to 52 weeks (instead of the current 16 weeks).
In the context of the debate held during the meeting, the Minister responded that proposals that increase the costs of the state are "unconstitutional", which took the proposal to extend the period to 52 weeks out of the context of the debate. She stressed that the aim of the Bill is to share equally between the father and mother, the obligations that arise after the birth of a child, therefore, she said, it was not appropriate to extend it beyond the period of maternity leave. He concluded that "there is no disagreement that the period of the right to paternity leave should be valid as long as maternity leave is valid."
Committee Chairman and AKEL MP Andreas Kafkalias focused on the compromise proposal for a period of 26+2 weeks. As he explained, this proposal meets the government's objectives, but also allows the father to apply for paternity allowance after the end of maternity leave, in order not to reduce the family's income, since one of the two parents will then receive 100% of his salary. In a statement after the end of the meeting, he said that "we have heard the Minister's views, as AKEL we are ready to discuss an alternative period and we hope that we will find the happy medium for an arrangement that will enable fathers to make proper use of this allowance".
DISY MP Demetris Demetriou supported the 26+2 proposal, saying that the two weeks after the maternity leave takes effect allow the father to be alone with the child and better bond with it. "This period can also be a financial respite for the family, which will save the cost of childcare for two weeks," he added.
DISY MP Fotini Tsiridou stressed that the more the new family is supported, the better, but expressed reservations regarding the two-week extension. "It is certainly critical for the mother to return to work, but if the right to parental leave offers the father the opportunity to be with the child at that time, then this will be regulated by another bill, which we expect to come before us," she said, adding that the most critical weeks for maternity support are those covered by the leave.
DISY MP Onoufrios Koullas said that "if the aim is to support the mother after childbirth, then the bill should not provide for a single day after maternity leave to take paternity leave, but perhaps even limit the right to the critical first eight weeks." In statements after the meeting, he said that we should not "risk, instead of implementing the bill, taking it to the Supreme Court on the grounds of unconstitutionality."
AKEL MP Christos Christofias raised the concern that the small number of fathers who have applied for paternity leave so far probably indicates a problem in the practical application of the law and called on the committee and the minister to examine these shortcomings in order to correct them.
DIKO MP Panicos Leonidou referred to sensitive aspects of the postpartum period (such as postpartum depression, up to a year after childbirth) and raised the concern that maternal support may be needed even after the end of maternity leave.
EDEK MP Andreas Apostolou argued that the period of two extra weeks of paternity leave, after the end of maternity leave, serves to allow the father to support the mother to return to work smoothly. "I believe that if this measure is passed, it will be used by fathers to support their wives," he added.
August 2022 horizon for the parental leave law
By August 2022, it is planned to complete the passing of the parental leave law in accordance with the European regulation, and Labour Minister Zeta Emylianidou said that it will be submitted before the Parliament in the spring of 2022.
During the debate in the Labour Committee, the Minister said that, among other things, "parental leave will also give the father the opportunity to spend more time with the child", which is not the aim of paternity leave, she said. She stressed that extending the period for taking paternity leave could potentially limit parental leave, so care is needed in decision-making.
In his statements after the Committee's meeting, EDEK MP Andreas Apostolou expressed his satisfaction with the advancement of the preparation of the bill. "Since 2017 I have argued that paid parental leave should be enshrined for both parents," he said. He added that the bill would provide for non-transferable leave for each parent, initially 45 days and then 60 days, which the parent could take up to the child's 8th birthday.
Transfer of parental rights in case of loss
In her statement on the proposed law on transfer of parental rights in case of loss of the mother, the Minister said that she fully agreed with the proposal, but stressed that "amendments are needed to make the law correct so that the father does not lose rights, such as widow's pension, since the law provides that one cannot receive two benefits at the same time." "I have already given instructions to the Social Security departments so that we can submit the law in the right form. I welcome the initiative, but give us time, so as not to create more problems," he concluded."
Source: CNA
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