ZAGREB, March 3 (Hina) - The majority of the parliamentary clubs of deputies on Wednesday supported amendments by which the government wants to re-introduce a three-year maternity leave for mothers of twins, three or more children.
Deputies of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Libra party were against the government-sponsored amendments,
ZAGREB, March 3 (Hina) - The majority of the parliamentary clubs of
deputies on Wednesday supported amendments by which the government
wants to re-introduce a three-year maternity leave for mothers of
twins, three or more children. Deputies of the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) and the Libra party were against the government-sponsored
amendments,#L#
The SDP most harshly opposed amendments to the Labour Act, the Health
Insurance Law and the maternity leave bill, stressing that the
amendments were detrimental and useless because they suited the bad
philosophy that a woman must stay home and dedicate herself only to
the family.
"Such an orientation, the so-called concept of a pink collar ghetto,
reduces the public role of women in society and on the labour market,"
Davorko Vidovic of the SDP said, adding that the Croatian Democratic
Union-led government was only creating the illusion that it would
correct the negative demographic picture. The best guarantee for
having babies is two wages in the family, he said.
Vidovic's statement provoked harsh reactions among HDZ deputies who
accused the former Ivica Racan-led government of deteriorating the
position of mothers by reducing maternity allowances and the length of
the maternity leave, thus partially causing a fall in the birth rate.
"Every woman would be given a choice whether or not to go on a
three-year maternity leave and taking care of the children and the
household is a blessing and not a punishment," Marija Bajt of the HDZ
said.
Even though they supported the moved amendments, saying that every
step aimed at improving the negative demographic picture was welcome,
other opposition clubs of deputies said that economic development was
the fundamental condition for demographic revival.
The HDZ club of deputies defended the government-sponsored measures,
stressing they showed a clear intent to battle the "white plague".
(Hina) it sb