PHILIPSBURG--Mothers would get eighteen weeks maternity leave, up from the current twelve weeks, and fathers two weeks paternity leave, up from the current two days, if a Committee for Civil Servants Union (CCSU) proposal to Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin is adopted and goes into effect.
CCSU submitted the proposal to Romeo-Marlin in her capacity as Minister of General Affairs on Friday, May 31.
CCSU members made use of their right as stipulated in article 112i of the LMA (landsverordening materieel ambtenarenrecht) to initiate amendments to the current human resource regulations and to propose the establishment of new policies on maternity and paternity leave, CCSU said in a press release on Monday.
“Members of the CCSU are of the opinion that the current personnel regulations on maternity and paternity leave are outdated and have not been amended based on developments in the labour market locally or abroad. Currently, civil servants are entitled to a maternity leave of 12 weeks while fathers are entitled to two days,” CCSU said.
The adoption of the proposal would not only increase maternity leave to 18 weeks and introduce a paternity leave of two weeks, but would also introduce a comprehensive policy that focuses on the physical and psychological health of the mother and father, and the care for the new-born by both parents.
CCSU’s proposal suggests the same number of weeks as proposed by United Democrats (UD) Member of Parliament (MP) Tamara Leonard.
The proposal also covers critical matters such as leave of absence in cases of stillbirth, premature birth and the birth of multiple children, among other pressing matters.
