- Conference
- 2024 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 23 February 2024
- Decision
- Carried
A survey conducted in 2023 by Censuswide found that many young people in the UK were considering delaying or deciding not to have children. More than half cited financial reasons as the number one reason for this.
Conference notes that statutory maternity leave in the United Kingdom is issued for up to 52 weeks. Local government employees that have at least one year’s continuous local government service at the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth, and return to work for a period of three months after maternity leave, will be entitled to statutory maternity pay and occupational maternity pay as follows:
6 weeks at 90% of full pay, 12 weeks at 50% pay plus Statutory Maternity Pay and
21 weeks on statutory provision.
With the cost-of-living crisis and ongoing inflation it is clear to see that the current maternity pay provision does not sufficiently cover everyday costs.
This can have a toll on the financial independence of women who will inevitably find themselves having to rely on partners, families, or personal savings to get by. This impacts household finance and can lead to an outdated typically male ‘breadwinner’ concept re-emerging in dual income households. This can add to the pressure of having a new baby and put strains on relationships and wellbeing within families.
Furthermore, pregnancy serves as a risk factor for domestic violence and financial disempowerment can leave women trapped in desperate situations.
Conference welcomes the National Joint Council Joint Trade Union side calling for better maternity pay conditions for local government employees, and welcomes UNISON’s recent call for statutory maternity pay to be doubled.
Conference believes that maternity pay conditions being in line across public sector organisations will have a significantly positive impact on women, parents and wider society.
Conference asks the Local Government Service Group Executive to:
1) Assess and review maternity pay rights (and related pay entitlements such as paternity and adoption pay) within the local government service group in comparison to other public sector employers;
2) Work with UNISON’s local government sector committees to seek to improve maternity pay and other parental rights through bargaining;
3) Promote existing maternity and paternity pay agreements and statutory entitlements to young members across the local government service group;
4) Encourage local government branches to promote existing locally negotiated family-friendly policies to young members in local government, such as flexible working arrangements, adoption leave, carers’ leave and shared parental leave;
5) Work with the National Women’s Committee to promote UNISON’s work challenging and addressing maternity discrimination to young members in the local government service group, and share existing resources on maternity, paternity and parental rights;
6) Consider producing guidance for members in the local government service group on family friendly policies and parental rights in the workplace.