KUALA LUMPUR: The National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) is going
ahead with a campaign to garner support for its proposal to increase
maternity leave to 90 days.
The union launched the campaign to
collect one million signatures to support the proposal in conjunction
with International Women’s Day yesterday.
NUBE president Tan Eng
Hong said he was confident of collecting the signatures by June 6.
“If
we collect one million signatures before the targeted date, we will
submit the memorandum earlier to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun
Razak.
“I’m confident that he will listen to us as he is
sensitive to the voice of the rakyat,” he said after launching
the “90 Days For Mums – 1 Million Signatures Campaign”.
The
campaign has received support from the Women’s Aid Organisation,
Kesatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor, World Alliance on Breastfeeding
Action, Asian Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, All
Women’s Action Society, Tenaganita Sdn Bhd, Wanita Gerakan, Wanita
Keadilan, Union Network International – MLC (Global Union) and the
Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC).
MTUC president Syed
Shahir said he hoped the campaign would motivate the Federal Government
to turn the proposal into a policy.
“Selangor has implemented
90-day maternity leave for its public sector and this is something to be
proud of.
“If Selangor can do it, I don’t see why other states
can’t follow.
“The Federal Government needs to create a policy
and convince employers to follow it,” he said.
He added that the
Government needed to “flex” its political will on this matter.
Kesatuan
Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor executive director Maria Chin Abdullah said
that in order for employers to comply with the proposal, it had to be
made into a law.
“You cannot just think about costs.
“It
is part and parcel of human development,” she stressed.
It was
reported that the Human Resources Ministry had no immediate plans to
amend the Employment Act to increase maternity leave from 60 to 90 days
for private and public sector workers.
Its minister Datuk Dr S.
Subramaniam had said that NUBE had the right to criticise but said the
Government did not discount the possibility of considering the proposal.
Source
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