Diaper dads demand two weeks leave

Despite the economic crisis, Euro MPs are pushing for longer maternity and paternity leave. “Happy parents have more children, and children badly needed in an ageing Europe,” is the widely-held view. But to employers it’s a horrifying thought.

“When I grow up and have children I want to have paternity leave,” says Joshua. He’s barely ten years old and walking hand in hand with his dad, Joep, through the corridors of the European Parliament building in Brussels. They’ve come to demonstrate in support of Euro MP Marije Cornelissen of the Dutch Green Left party, who’s fighting for paternity leave throughout the European Union.

“The Netherlands is really behind on this,” says Joep. “A Spanish father can take 15 paid days’ leave to help at home when his wife has given birth. A Belgian can take 10 days. In the Netherlands as a man you’ve got just two days.” His son Joshua shakes his head with the same indignation as his father. Obviously he’s picked up political engagement at an early age.

Procession
Dressed in green shirts bearing the slogan “Dads are parents too”, Joep and Joshua join a colourful procession of parents and children headed by Ms Cornelissen of Green Left, on the way to a conference room at the European Parliament.

The Women’s Rights and Gender Equality committee is voting on extending maternity leave and introducing paternity leave in the European Union. This isn’t normally something that would attract television crews. It will be followed by a vote in the European Parliament in a few weeks anyway. And then it will be up to the relevant ministers in the 27 member states to consider the matter. But by bringing sympathetic fathers and their children along to the parliament building, Ms Cornelissen has managed to create a jolly media event, which is almost enough to make you forget the sensitivity of the issue.

Lobbying

In spring 2009, Euro MPs tried to tinker with the current European minimum level of maternity leave, set in 1992 at 14 weeks. A move to have it extended to 20 weeks failed in the face of major opposition from Christian Democrats and conservatives, backed by stiff lobbying from employers’ organisations.

Now, a year later, there’s more support for an increase to 20 weeks. “Our political group is also in favour,” says Ria Oomen on behalf of the Dutch Christian Democrats in the European Parliament. “Longer leave is good for women’s health and safety, and that will benefit everyone, including employers.” But most European employers’ organisations still fiercely oppose the proposals.

Irritated

The economic crisis has hit Europe hard. Cutbacks are looming on the horizon, and millions of Europeans have lost their jobs. “So then you don’t go spending money on even more leave,” says a clearly irritated Loes van Embden Andres, international social affairs secretary at the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW). “Nobody’s demonstrated why the present minimum level should be increased.”

She’s horrified at the thought that there is also a proposal on the table to introduce a statutory fortnight’s paternity leave. “This is simply impossible.”

By the end of the afternoon, Euro MP Marije Cornelissen has given ten or more TV interviews and her self-confidence has grown visibly. It’s nearly time for her to go through to the conference room for the crucial vote. “In this day and age it’s absurd that father’s should have no leave after the birth,” she argues in response to the criticism from VNO-NCW’s. “You get a lot further as an employer if you have happy employees. A more equal division of labour and childcare makes it easier for women to work.”

Drunk with happiness

As Ms Cornelissen heads off into the conference room to vote, the protesting fathers and their children wait outside. “I think it’s a good thing if parents get equal rights,” a girl says. “I was able to look after her for the first few weeks after she was born,” says her father. “With my son, my employer stuck to the minimum of two days. That’s just enough to register the birth and spend one day drunk with happiness. Then you’ve got to go back to work.”

On Tuesday evening, the European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality voted in favour of the proposals both to increase maternity leave to 20 weeks and to introduce two weeks of paternity leave. A vote in the plenary session of the European Parliament is scheduled for the end of March. The proposals will then be referred for consideration by EU ministers.

Maternity leave in Europe

The length of paid maternity leave varies hugely among European countries. In Sweden, Norway and Denmark women are entitled to 96, 52 and 50 weeks of paid leave respectively. In the Netherlands, France and Spain, leave is set at 16 weeks. There are also major differences in Eastern Europe. What’s more, the level of pay varies widely too, ranging from 100 percent of salary to a much smaller flat-rate benefit per month.

1	Sweden	96 weeks
2	Norway	52 weeks
3	Denmark	50 weeks
4	Italy	47 weeks
5	Czech Republic	28 weeks
6	United Kingdom	26 weeks
7	Hungary	24 weeks
8	Ireland	22 weeks
9	France	16 weeks
10	Netherlands	16 weeks
11	Poland	16 weeks
12	Spain	16 weeks
13	Germany	14 weeks