Archived Media Releases: 29 September 2008

Importance of paid maternity leave recognised at last

The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) today said that the Productivity Commission’s Interim report on Paid Maternity, Paternity and Parental leave recognised the importance of such leave to mothers and families.

Ged Kearney, ANF Federal Secretary said that the absence of a national system of paid maternity leave created financial pressures that forced Australian women back to work too soon after having a child and the interim report shows that the federal government is committed to a solution.

The ANF highlighted the results of their recent maternity leave survey, released at the beginning of September saying that it revealed a staggering 68% of respondents returned to work for financial reasons, including the end of any paid leave. The survey also showed that nurses and midwives returning to work earlier than otherwise intended were less able to continue breastfeeding and had difficulty establishing healthy family relationships.

“If we are hearing this from our members, some of whom have some paid leave imagine what it must be like for the thousands of women who have none at all.” Ms Kearney said. ‘‘This should not be happening in a prosperous nation like Australia."

The ANF will respond to the interim report emphasising:

• The need for employer ‘top up’ to full wage to minimise financial stress on families;
• The importance of paying superannuation at the employee’s full wage rather than at the Federal Minimum Wage; and
• The importance for leave entitlements to be uniform for all women regardless of their working status.

The ANF maternity, paternity and parental leave survey report is available here.

Media Contacts
Ged Kearney, Federal Secretary 0417 053 322
Lee Thomas, Assistant Federal Secretary, 0419 576 590
Libby Muir, Communications Officer, 0413 834 979

The ANF, representing nearly 170,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses and midwives in Australia.