- Conference
- 2003 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 24 October 2002
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Under the current legislation, a woman giving birth to a premature baby that requires hospitalisation finds she has the same amount of maternity leave as the mother of a baby that can go home.
This Conference recognises the additional stress on mothers and their families trying to cope with babies who have yet to come home. This can put the mother under extreme pressure when faced with returning to work with a baby either still in hospital or just returned home. Bonding and routines can be made more difficult and leaving a newborn baby with difficulties can be emotionally difficult and there are not the carers available who will take the risk of looking after such a baby due to the high risk.
Conference asks that the National Women’s Committee requests the Affiliated Political Fund Committee to lobby the Government for a change to the maternity leave and pay legislation, to make an addendum to the statutory arrangements. The purpose being to allow mothers to nurse their babies once they leave hospital and for this to be the date from which the maternity leave starts officially. The time between the birth and return home should be treated as paid compassionate leave.
Conference asks the National Women’s Committee to obtain information from the National Health Service and other relevant medical sources, to establish the average annual number of premature births that require hospitalisation for more than three days and where possible establish the average length of stay in hospital by premature babies.
Conference requests that the National Women’s Committee works with the Maternity Alliance to develop recommendations for amendments to legislation on maternity and parental rights to accommodate the needs of mothers and premature babies. The Women’s Committee should raise this issue with the National Executive Council and seek to include this in advice to branches.