By Martin Banks - 2nd November 2011
It's time that we listened
Marina Yannakoudakis
Parliament has been accused of "not listening" to member states on the contentious EU maternity leave directive.
The draft law is currently 'blocked' with several member states, including the UK, registering reservations about the proposals to give women 20 weeks of paid maternity.
Parliament has backed the 20-week leave proposal and the assembly's women's rights and gender equality committee has now tabled a question to the council calling on member states "to unblock the situation" regarding the directive.
However, the committee's move has been condemned by UK Conservative deputy Marina Yannakoudakis who declared, "It's not the duty of parliament's women's rights committee to hector the member states."
Yannakoudakis is one of the few members of the committee to call for a reassessment of the directive.
She told this website, "The committee is now trying to push its over-reaching, expensive and unnecessary proposal on the council.
"The maternity leave directive is not right for women, it's not right for business and it's not right for member state governments in a time of economic crisis."
The ECR member added, "I am a mother and a small businesswoman and I know that 20 weeks of fully-paid compulsory maternity leave, two weeks fully-paid paternity leave and breastfeeding breaks of three hours a day are totally unrealistic.
"There is a reason why the council is blocking these proposals; the council is the last line of defence for a member state to put forward its case."
The deputy, who is her party's spokesman on women's rights and gender equality in parliament, said, "National governments are sending us a powerful message. And it's time that we listened.
"Time and time again rigid rules supporting the so-called 'social dimension' triumph over common sense, when what the European economy really needs is to be more flexible and more competitive."
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.