Labour pledges six months maternity leave and longer paternity leave
'We need to give families time, not just money,' Abela said
Labour has pledged to give mothers six months of maternity leave while doubling paternity leave to a month if re-elected.
The proposals were unveiled on Tuesday morning, with Prime Minister Robert Abela saying that a new government had to offer families “not just money, but also time”.
The proposals would see new mothers receive 26 weeks (six months) of maternity leave, an increase of eight weeks over the current measures.
Meanwhile, paternity leave would double from just two weeks to a month.
The new government would also subsidise parental leave to ensure that parents receive their usual wage, up to a maximum of €70,000, at no cost to employers, Abela said.
Parents of toddlers between the age of one and two years old would also receive an additional 28 days of fully paid leave to be shared between them, at the government’s expense.
New parents would also be given a bump to the birth bonus offered by the government. Currently, parents receive a €1,000 sum for their first child, rising to €1,500 for a second and €2,000 for a third child.
Under a new Labour government, parents would receive a €5,000 sum for each child, with an initial payment of €3,000 issued before the child is even born, during the seventh month of pregnancy, Abela said.
Meanwhile, parents of neurodiverse children or those with a disability would see any expenses related to therapy covered until they reach the age of 18.
“We do not want money to be an obstacle for parents to receive the best care,” Abela said on Tuesday.
Those parents who have to take their children for therapy or care appointments at the hospital will also receive the equivalent of five days of fully paid carers’ leave, Abela added.
Labour’s proposals also introduce new tax cuts for young people entering the job market for the first time or opening a startup company.
Young people will be tax exempt, up to an amount of €30,000, for their first three years of employment or when opening a new business.
This means they will have an additional €12,300 in disposable income, Abela said, allowing them to enjoy more free time or save up for a property.
Meanwhile, pensioners will receive a yearly pension bump of €50 per week over a number of years, once COLA is factored in, Abela promised.