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Armenian women to protest government plan to cut maternity leave pays
12:46 * 11.10.14
A government-proposed plan to amend the Law on Temporary
Unemployability Benefits has stirred up a wide discontent, especially
among women, as it envisages a cut in pre- and post-natal maternity
leave pays.
While the law in effect guarantees an equivalent of the average
monthly salary for women on maternity leave (140 days), the proposed
reform requires calculating the salary based on the length of service
in the most recent job.
Commenting on the bill, a lawyer from the Women's Resources Center,
Nvard Piloposyan, said it will essentially affect the monthly pay,
reducing it from 40% to 80% depending on the woman's length of service
in the given position.
"So no woman expecting her first or second child will get no more than
2.5 million Drams (approx $6,000). And in case of the third child, 3
million Drams (approx $7,400) will be the ceiling," she told Tert.am.
The bill, which is still on the cabinet's agenda, has not been
submitted to the National Assembly yet. If approved, it will go into
effect starting from January 1, 2015.
Instead, the government proposes reforms for unemployed pregnant
women. "Both the public at large and the women who apply to us are
opposed to such reforms. It turns out that they thus take the money
from women who work to give it to those who aren't employed. It isn't
logical, as a woman who works receives the compensation for the
unemployability period not to lose her income," said the lawyer.
Piliposyan said she thinks that the measure is an attempt to
discourage women from having children. She pointed out to the
demographic hazards linked to the possible slow natural growth.
The lawyer described it as a violation of working women's
constitutional right to get paid during maternity leave. "So the state
violates its commitment, as well as working women's constitutional
right in order to provide compensation to women who do not work. But
if the is state really planning on that, it could do so at the expense
of other resources, maintaining the benefits for working women and
establishing allowances for the unemployed," she noted.
Piliposyan said they are going to hold protests in front of the
Government and probably the National Assembly to prevent the passage
of the measure.
Speaking to Tert.am, a former minister of heath, Ararat Mkrchyan, says
he doesn't think the decision will cause demographic problems.
"The benefits or the pays during pregnancy, as well as the amount of
money [given to women] in case of the first, second or third
childbirth are programs that are not in any way likely to impact the
demographic records. That's for sure the case. They are just populist
programs," he explained.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/10/11/pregnant-women/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
12:46 * 11.10.14
A government-proposed plan to amend the Law on Temporary
Unemployability Benefits has stirred up a wide discontent, especially
among women, as it envisages a cut in pre- and post-natal maternity
leave pays.
While the law in effect guarantees an equivalent of the average
monthly salary for women on maternity leave (140 days), the proposed
reform requires calculating the salary based on the length of service
in the most recent job.
Commenting on the bill, a lawyer from the Women's Resources Center,
Nvard Piloposyan, said it will essentially affect the monthly pay,
reducing it from 40% to 80% depending on the woman's length of service
in the given position.
"So no woman expecting her first or second child will get no more than
2.5 million Drams (approx $6,000). And in case of the third child, 3
million Drams (approx $7,400) will be the ceiling," she told Tert.am.
The bill, which is still on the cabinet's agenda, has not been
submitted to the National Assembly yet. If approved, it will go into
effect starting from January 1, 2015.
Instead, the government proposes reforms for unemployed pregnant
women. "Both the public at large and the women who apply to us are
opposed to such reforms. It turns out that they thus take the money
from women who work to give it to those who aren't employed. It isn't
logical, as a woman who works receives the compensation for the
unemployability period not to lose her income," said the lawyer.
Piliposyan said she thinks that the measure is an attempt to
discourage women from having children. She pointed out to the
demographic hazards linked to the possible slow natural growth.
The lawyer described it as a violation of working women's
constitutional right to get paid during maternity leave. "So the state
violates its commitment, as well as working women's constitutional
right in order to provide compensation to women who do not work. But
if the is state really planning on that, it could do so at the expense
of other resources, maintaining the benefits for working women and
establishing allowances for the unemployed," she noted.
Piliposyan said they are going to hold protests in front of the
Government and probably the National Assembly to prevent the passage
of the measure.
Speaking to Tert.am, a former minister of heath, Ararat Mkrchyan, says
he doesn't think the decision will cause demographic problems.
"The benefits or the pays during pregnancy, as well as the amount of
money [given to women] in case of the first, second or third
childbirth are programs that are not in any way likely to impact the
demographic records. That's for sure the case. They are just populist
programs," he explained.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/10/11/pregnant-women/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress