date: April 25 2001 embargo: immediate

Attention: industrial, political, social affairs correspondents

welcome for likely climb down on parental leave

Commenting on the government’s announcement on parental leave TUC General Secretary, John Monks, said:

'This looks like a climb down by the government and a victory for the TUC and Britain’s working parents.

'We are currently negotiating with the government at their request to try to ensure that the regulations implementing this decision will allow us to drop the TUC’s challenge in the European Court next week, where our legal team is to be headed by Cherie Booth QC. Every legal expert has warned the government that defeat was inevitable.

'There are serious questions to be asked about why the government denied 2.7 million working parents their rights for eighteen months. It is good that the government has gone beyond EU law by giving extra leave to the parents of the disabled.

'We hope this will put an end to attempts to water down European directives designed to help people at work, though current discussions on the directive designed to stop abuse of fixed term contracts suggest otherwise.

'Today’s move will help the campaign for more family friendly policies in the UK. In particular we hope this will lead to a right for new mothers to return to work part time to be included in Labour’s manifesto for the election.

'There also needs to be further progress on parental leave. Unpaid parental leave that can only be taken in blocks of a week with an effective veto by the employer is not flexible enough for most parents.'

Notes to Editors:

All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

A TUC rights leaflets on parental leave is available on our website and from the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 8am-10pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Liz Chinchen on 020 7467 1248 or 07699 744115 (pager) or email lchinchen@tuc.org.uk

Press release (400 words) issued 25 Apr 2001