International Labour Office Votes for Minimum Maternity Leave Standards

Those working for breastfeeding protection had a busy month this past June as the International Labour Office (ILO) global meetings discussed maternity benefits for women in the labour force. Maternity benefits were under revision and faced threats of being pared down. After a hectic pace of convincing governmental delegations to the meetings on the importance of retaining good maternity benefits for working women, members of the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), together with the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and the International Women Count Network (WCN) were pleased that vulnerable benefits for women were maintained.

The 87^th ILO voted to maintain:

• 12 weeks paid maternity as a minimum standard for all employed women,
• entitlement to paid breastfeeding breaks with their frequency and length to be determined by national law,
• provision for an unspecified period of compulsory leave (previously 6 weeks).

These standards vary little from those of 1952, which were under the current revision. Nursing breaks came under serious threat with attempts to place them under optional Recommendations rather than mandatory standards to which ratifying countries would be legally bound. Fortunately the proposal for Recommendations was narrowly defeated at the Committee vote.

Work now needs to be done at the national level to ensure that the provisions will be formally adopted at the June 2000 meeting.

For more information, please contact INFACT Canada at info@infactcanada.ca or see the WABA website at http://www.elogica.com.br/waba/working.html