Maternity Rights in UK: New Tory welfare chief Mel Stride calls for partial reversal

Workers' rights on maternity leave for expecting mothers are grabbing the limelight with Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride asking for a curbing of the laws for leave for expecting mothers who work.

The UK is the world's most generous country for expectant mothers, and they are entitled to 52 weeks of leave under the maternity rights of workers. The Secretary believes that the country needs to consider its laws related to maternity as businessmen find it extremely difficult to either fill vacancies or pay those high amounts while the worker is away.

He cited the example of Germany, where expecting mothers who work are given 14 weeks of paid leave for maternity, which is paid. Germans sometimes stretch leaves, but the businessman doesn't have to pay.




Mel Stride's ideas have drawn flak from Labour MPs, with Shadow Secretary Jonathan Ashworth slamming Stride on his presumptions. He slammed the Conservatives for abandoning the policies that brought them to power, and now they want workers to pay for a sagging economy and high inflation.He felt that conservatives always betrayed the people by returning to their promises.

A government spokesman clarified that it chooses workers' maternity rights as the most crucial aspect, on which more than £20 billion has been spent in the last five years. The government hopes that maternity leave will be made a right to request flexibility for workers and a right for all employees.

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