Ben Pawlowski
NEW parents in Spain will now be able to enjoy 17 weeks of paid leave each after the government approved an extension to maternity and paternity rights.
Under the new legislation – set to be ratified by Spain’s Congress in September – standard parental leave for both parents will increase from 16 to 17 weeks.
In single-parent households, paid leave has doubled from 16 to 32 weeks, four of which can be used at any point before the child turns eight-years-old.
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has thrown his weight behind the proposals in an attempt to please his far-left junior coalition partner Sumar, who, spearheaded by deputy prime minister Yolanda Diaz, have pledged 20 weeks of statutory birth leave for each parent.
Diaz hailed the move earlier this week, telling a press conference: “Spain is moving towards feminism and equality…and there will be no turning back. We are looking forward.
“Four out of ten men in our country now take parental leave. And this is a feminist achievement.”
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Spain is one of just two EU countries, alongside Finland, to offer equal fully-paid leave to both mother and father.
Other member states, including Croatia, Ireland and Belgium, grant longer maternity leave – but Spain offers better rights for fathers.
According to Diaz, the move is necessary to satisfy legislation under the EU’s European Work-Life Balance Directive.
Spain was being fined €9,000 per day for failing to comply – totalling over €10 million so far – but the levy is set to increase to a daily rate of €43,000 this month.
The move is set to cost the Spanish taxpayer €1.5 billion, with Diaz confirming that the government’s welfare department would be forced to stump up the cash, rather than employers.
The proposal still needs to be passed by Congress, but Diaz said parliamentary groups had ‘responded well’ to its content.
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