Call for ‘decently paid’ maternity leave

Statutory maternity pay for UK mothers is among the worst in Europe, according to an analysis by the TUC.

The trade union body says only Ireland and Slovakia have worse “decently paid” entitlements.

It defines decently paid as two-thirds of a woman’s salary or more than £840 a month.

The government said the UK’s maternity system was one of the most generous in the world and most mothers could take up to 39 weeks of guaranteed pay.

That was nearly three times the EU minimum requirement of 14 weeks, a statement said.  More