PETALING JAYA: The 98 days’ maternity leave under the amendments to the Employment Act is crucial for the welfare of women in the workforce, women’s rights groups said.
Irene Xavier of Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor said maternity leave is a basic, non-negotiable human right, and Abinaya Mohan of the Women’s Aid Organisation said the 98 days’ maternity leave is in line with the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) standards.
They were commenting on the amendments to the Employment Act, aimed at safeguarding the welfare of workers and to bring local regulations in line with the ILO Convention.
The amendments were initially meant to be implemented on Sept 1 but were later postponed to Jan 1.
A group of associations representing retailers yesterday called for a further postponement of the amendments and expressed concerns that the enforcement of the changes would negatively impact the retail industry, which they said had only just begun to recover following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among other things, the group said giving women 98 days’ maternity leave would disrupt work efficiency and also put women at a disadvantage in terms of employability.
They said the establishment of more creches and childcare centres was a more effective solution.
Xavier hit out at the group for its “outdated” arguments. She said having more creches and childcare centres was irrelevant if there continued to be a lack of affordable centres for women in the lower income bracket to send their children to.
Abinaya said granting additional days for maternity leave will not put women in the workforce at a disadvantage or affect their employability if their employers were willing to support them.
Should the government agree to another postponement of the amendments’ enforcement, she said, labour and women’s rights groups must be included in dialogues or engagement sessions Putrajaya has with retail and business groups. - FMT
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