The Tribune

BY LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE National Tripartite Council (NTC) is leaning towards extending maternity leave to 18 weeks — not the 20 weeks proposed by some advocacy groups — with its chairwoman stressing the need to strike a balance between employer obligations with the country’s economic capacity.

NTC chairwoman Sharon Martin said she anticipates that a final decision will be made before year’s end, but noted that consultations are ongoing before any new legislative changes are made.

“We have been working,” Ms Martin said, “and Minister (Pia) Glover-Rolle, she has come alongside with the work, and she has actually promoted the work to a further degree that she’s had a team working primarily on the Employment Act, changes to the Employment Act.”

Currently, maternity leave in The Bahamas provides 12 weeks, with at least one-third of this time paid by employers. However, advocates argue that the current policy falls short of what is needed to support new mothers.

Trineka McCardy, president of the Bahamas National Breastfeeding Association (BNBA), has previously advocated for 20 weeks of maternity leave but said the association is open to a compromise of 16 weeks.

She acknowledged that the association may not get its initial wish but said the NTC has indicated it is open to supporting the 16-week option — a move she sees as progress.

“That will mean so much for them to be off at least four months with your baby, at least that’s the mark,” she added, “That will be a blessing and not only they are working on that. They are working on getting things changed in the workplace where they have a station to pump.”

Ms Martin said while longer maternity leave can be justified by medical experts, there’s a need to ensure balance between the interests of employers and the health of the economy.

“I would say that we wish to take two baby steps, and when we get to that point, to at least making sure we are at the International Labour Standard side,” she said. “18 weeks is at least standard.”

She added that discussions on paternity leave are also ongoing.

For his part, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville expressed support for longer maternity leave, but said the extension must also be accompanied by policies that ensure child truly benefits from the additional time.

Their comments came at Friday’s launch of “The Big Latch”, a joint initiative hosted by the Ministry of Health and the BNBA to promote breastfeeding, kicking off Breastfeeding Week.

Among the speakers was Ann Marie Davis, wife of Prime Minister Philip Davis, who highlighted the importance of breastfeeding and the need for workplace policies to better support mothers.