PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE

Minister for Women Margaret Keech has expressed alarm at the rising potential for discrimination against new mothers in the workplace under the Howard Government’s WorkChoices legislation.

Mrs Keech said WorkChoices was eroding the improvements that women have gained in the workplace by making it easy for employers to reduce conditions or terminate employment when they are pregnant or attempting to return to work after maternity leave.

“Negative assumptions by employers about pregnancy and early parenting can significantly disadvantage women who want to remain in the workforce during these years,” she said.

“But what these employers don’t realise is this may backfire on businesses with the loss of key staff in the face of increasing skills shortages.

“Eliminating discrimination against pregnancy and family responsibilities is essential in improving the status of women in the workplace, but with WorkChoices the issue is more relevant than ever.”

Since the introduction of WorkChoices in March, the Queensland Working Women's Service has recorded 147 complaints relating to pregnancy or family responsibility discrimination, and over 10 per cent of these resulted in actions in industrial relations or anti-discrimination jurisdictions.

“The WorkChoices legislation does not incorporate the gains made for women under the Australian Industrial Relations Work and Family Test Case decision in late 2005, which included up to two years of unpaid parental leave and the right to request part-time work when parents return to employment,” Mrs Keech said

“But Queensland has upheld the Test Case provisions and increased paid maternity leave in the public sector.

“Unfortunately, there is strong evidence that the overwhelming majority of workers have been unable to negotiate family friendly agreements with their employers, especially those in lower paid or casual positions.”

Mrs Keech said only 8 per cent of Australian Workplace Agreements had paid maternity leave provisions, which could ultimately have an increased cost for employers in terms of attracting and retaining skilled women on their staff.

This issue follows recent widespread disappointment at the failed State and Territory governments’ High Court challenge to the Howard Government’s workplace relations laws.

Media contacts: David Smith 3225 1005