MK Labour backs campaign to improve parental leave rights.
Milton Keynes City Council’s Labour Group is backing a campaign to modernise parental leave policies by extending rights for fathers and second parents.
The group is set to support the campaign for fairer parental leave with a motion at Full Council on Wednesday 16th July.
The ‘Joy of Six’ campaign, backed by organisations such as The Fatherhood Institute, The DadPad and key trade unions, asks the government to review its current paternity/second parental leave offer and move towards a two weeks’ fully paid leave, followed by a further four weeks of flexible paid leave within the baby’s first year.
Currently, new fathers and second parents in the UK are entitled to just two weeks of statutory paternity leave at £187.18 per week.
Milton Keynes Labour has already played a leading role in improving its local policies, including formal parental leave for councillors, and is now asking that the campaign is considered as amendments to the UK Employment Rights bill.
Cllr Leo Montague, who will be moving the motion at full council next week, said:
“Many parents in Milton Keynes and across the country are forced to make a difficult decision between spending time bonding with their newborn and working to pay bills. The current system is outdated and parental leave rights in the UK falls behind those in other comparable highly-developed economies.
“New fathers and second parents should be able to take time off work when their new baby is born, without having to worry about financial security. The ‘Joy of Six’ campaign is about giving families the time they need to bond and begin their journey together with proper support.”
