EUROPE PLANS 20 WEEKS MATERNITY LEAVE
The European Parliament's women's rights and gender equality committee has voted through plans to force firms to pay pregnant women 100% of their salary for at least 20 weeks. The introduction would leave British businesses facing the prospect of a crippling £2 billion burden to implement the measures.

MEPs have predicted that the EU would rubber stamp the measures at next month's vote in the European Parliament. However, the power of an apparently unaccountable committee to make such a radical policy has infuriated many in British business, particularly as Britain no longer has a right to block the proposals because it surrendered its veto on employment law. It is understood British ministers will work behind the scenes to persuade EU allies to vote against the plans next month. If ratified the plan would effectively treble statutory maternity pay in the UK, which currently provides women with six weeks at 90% of their salary, followed by a longer period on a basic £123 a week. 

Source: Peninsula Business Services