The Finance Ministry has sought to clarify that there is no proposed change with respect to maternity leave for public sector workers.

The clarification follows concerns which were raised about the matter.

Opposition Senator Lambert Brown told IRIE FM news that he had taken issue with an alleged proposal made by the Finance Ministry to Unions, regarding an eight-week maternity leave for public sector workers.

Senator Brown noted that the alleged proposal represents a backward move.

He explained that the law currently allows for a twelve-week maternity leave with pay, and the Unions are asking for this to be increased to fourteen weeks.

However, in a statement this morning (May 17) the Finance Ministry said documents presented to the Legal Officers Staff Association (LOSA) quoted from the Public Sector Staff Orders of 2004 regarding maternity leave and proposed no change.

The Ministry noted that the LOSA’s response and concerns about maternity leave were leaked to the press, and are based on an error of interpretation.

The Ministry said this error of interpretation has since been addressed with the President of the LOSA this morning.

The Finance Ministry added that the situation represents a perfect example that completion and implementation of the compensation restructuring exercise, requires that persons give the established process a chance to work.

The Ministry said the only way this will happen, is if concerns are brought to and addressed around the conference table.

And, in an independent statement, the LOSA confirmed that it is satisfied that the forty-day paid maternity leave entitlement is what currently exists in the Staff Orders for the public service, and no variance has been made, based on the existing proposal shared by the Ministry.