New EU maternity rights voted through to cost Britain £3 billion a year

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Telegraph

New EU maternity rights voted through to cost Britain £3 billion a year
New EU maternity and paternity rights voted through the European Parliament will cost Britain £3 billion a year.
By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Published: 4:31PM BST 20 Oct 2010

MEPs passed controversial proposals that will extend maternity leave to 20 weeks on full pay and introduce a compulsory, fully paid fortnight of time off for fathers.

The European Parliament voted for the proposals despite commissioning its own internal study that found that the new maternity rights would cost £102 billion, shaving one per cent off growth at a time when European economies were struggling out of recession.

Edite Estrela, a Portuguese Socialist MEP, said the parliament was ready to take on national governments, including Britain, Germany and Sweden, over the maternity rights.

"This is a great day for new parents and good news for our economic future in Europe," she said. The costs are minimal."



Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8076199/New-EU-maternity-rights-voted-through-to-cost-Britain-3-billion-a-year.html

[dflprincess]

1. Anyone want to bet if this will be reported on by any American media? n/t

[slackmaster]

2. The article describes new entitlements

Not new rights.

[provis99]

4. an entitlement is a right.

[Lance_Boyle]

7. No, it is not.

Buy and read a dictionary before you spout off.

[liberation]

5. "entitlements???" that is a loaded word with a very specific whistle tone from conservatives.

The article referred them for what they are: rights.

There is nothing "entitled" about a people who live in a society which considers fundamental, the right of parents to spend plenty of time with their infants during the most crucial period of their upbringing, if anything it is "humane." It speaks volumes about how f*cked up our society really is if there are people who truly believe that parents having the expectation of being able to actually raise their kids is referred using a term with a negative connotation.

[Lance_Boyle]

8. And entitlement is PRECISELY what this is.

It is not a right. Having children is a right. Expecting others to pay you for exercising that right reeks of ENTITLEMENT.

I do not support any system that forcibly takes money from others to pay people to have children. If you want to have children, fund them yourself.

[reggie the dog]

13. what is wrong with having those more wealthy than you pay for

your leave???? you pay taxes into the system your whole life an use it 2 or 3 times if you are a woman, us men pay into it too, the wealthier you are the more taxes you pay and here in france it is the public health service that pays the business owner back the salary they give you while on leave for your birth, i took my 2 weeks too..it was MY RIGHT because it is deemed to be in the best interest of the physical and mental health of the child mother and father and in civilized countries medical care and ensuing time off is a right.


"An entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits based on established rights or by legislation. A "right" is itself an entitlement associated with a moral or social principle, such that an "entitlement" is a provision made in accordance with legal framework of a society. Typically, entitlements are laws based on concepts of principle ("rights") which are themselves based in concepts of social equality or enfranchisement.
In a casual sense, the term "entitlement" refers to a notion or belief that one (or oneself) is deserving of some particular reward or benefit<1>—if given without deeper legal or principled cause, the term is often given with pejorative connotation (e.g. a "sense of entitlement")."


health care, maternaty leave, access to education, these are rights, things us commoners are entitled to....not just the wealthy

[Lance_Boyle]

15. Do you also expect those 'more wealthy than you' to buy you pets and pay for their

food and vet expenses? Children, like pets, are an option that people choose to undertake. Expecting someone else (even the dreaded "wealthy") to pay you for opting to have either is ridiculous.

[MicaelS]

17. "Fund them yourself?"

The birth rates in many developed countries are dropping. People are not even replacing themselves. So if people are not replacing themselves, what other choice do these countries have to fund their social systems? Lots of immigrants, AKA "guest workers". Which means people from poorer countries, often with completely different cultures. Who are then resented by the citizens already there, because the immigrants refuse to assimilate, and all the problems such things bring.

I would much rather fund the people already there to have children, and care for them rather, than bring in outsiders. Fewer cultural problems.

It never ceases to amaze me how many Progressives complain about not having enough people with a Progressive viewpoint in America. These Progressives proudly state their refusal to have children of their own, and then complain because all the Conservatives are having one kid after another and inculcating their Conservative viewpoint into their own kids.

[laundry_queen]

20. By that token of wisdom you just spouted

we shouldn't fund education. If you want to have children, fund their education yourself.
Or any number of programs for kids, like WIC. How liberal of you.

[slackmaster]

9. Pathetic

The word "entitlement" has a specific, concise legal meaning.

Any "whistle tone" is inside of your head.

There is nothing "entitled" about a people who live in a society which considers fundamental, the right of parents to spend plenty of time with their infants during the most crucial period of their upbringing, if anything it is "humane."

That is exactly true. I agree with you.

But when someone else is obligated to pay money for it, that makes it an entitlement.

[reggie the dog]

14. it is an entitlement but the person you are talking to does not know what that means

"An entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits based on established rights or by legislation. A "right" is itself an entitlement associated with a moral or social principle, such that an "entitlement" is a provision made in accordance with legal framework of a society. Typically, entitlements are laws based on concepts of principle ("rights") which are themselves based in concepts of social equality or enfranchisement.
In a casual sense, the term "entitlement" refers to a notion or belief that one (or oneself) is deserving of some particular reward or benefit<1>—if given without deeper legal or principled cause, the term is often given with pejorative connotation (e.g. a "sense of entitlement")."


what is wrong with being entitled to public services???? i went to school, that was a public service that all kids have a right to......is it wrong to be ENTITLED to something even if we are not great at gathering pieces of paper that god trusts in or are just the wealthy entitled to what their money can buy??? you and i know we would be entitled to maternaty leave if we were rich, hell do people who have investors invest their millions EVER fucking work??? but some people would reserve such priviliges for people who have more money that us..... can that really be a fellow democrat or is it a wolf in sheeps clothing??

[HuckleB]

3. Yeah! Good news for our friends in Europe! Recommend! -eom-

[aquart]

6. On whom should the money be spent if not mothers?

What on earth can be more important to any society?

[SkyDaddy7]

10. Although I agree with your point...

We are having way too many babies! The world cannot sustain this rapid growth in population. I am not trying to sound evil but population growth is a huge problem, right?

[aquart]

11. So your method of birth control is make life hell for mothers?

You're maybe afraid that Britain will make pregnancy so comfy cozy for moms that they'll have a baby every nine months?

Yep. Penalizing women is always the best approach to any problem.

[SkyDaddy7]

16. Penalizing women? WTF?

The last time I checked it takes TWO human beings to have a baby! So, if you truly cared about this issue you would have included the fathers as well in those I want to punish...I am a strong defender of women's rights but I am growing sick & tired of people like you who think a women's rights are all that matter when it comes to parenting.

I made a mistake & thought we could have a MATURE discussion about a real problem. But despite the fact I said I agreed with your point first & foremost like a small % of people here on DU you have chosen to put words in my mouth about a topic that has nothing to do with what I said.

Continue on with your bias & turning a blind eye to a real problem that must begin to be discussed in the western world...I never suggested punishing people as you so badly wanted me to. I asked for your opinion on a real problem. Obviously you do not have one because your overt bias blinds you from even considering the facts.

[MicaelS]

18. Wrong....

It's a problem in the Underdeveloped countries of the world. In many Developed countries the population are not even replacing themselves. Who is going to fund their social systems the? Immigrants AKA "Guest Workers" with the problems that entails.

[reggie the dog]

12. Fathers had a fortnight already in france

but it looks like this is going to boost women from the current 16 weeks paid leave up to 20....but most doctors gave a few extra weeks if the mother was tired or nursing the baby....at any rate this is a great thing for women.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

19. I think this is an excellent policy especially in light of low birth rates

EU nations have realized that in order to keep benefits for pension-age retirees and an increasingly older population, there must be fresh (read, young) workers to pay into the system. Most people in Europe who want to have kids are understandably considering their finances and how much they would be impacted should they have children.

I know many of my friends in Italy, which has one of the lowest birth rates in the world and one of teh oldest populations in the world, have often wondered how they could afford having kids (even despite rather generous family leave policies already in place).

This legislation will make their choice to have children much easier and less damaging to the pocketbook.