The Ministry of Finance intends to cut maternity leave by two weeks under the framework of the 2009 economic arrangements bill, according to a draft proposal obtained by MKs Gideon Sa'ar (Likud) and Shelly Yacimovich (Labor). It was only a year ago that two MKs succeeded in extending maternity leave to 14 weeks from 12, after a bill they tabled in the Knesset was supported by 85 MKs. So far 100,000 mothers have benefited from the longer maternity leave.
The draft proposal also reveals that the Ministry of Finance is seeking to cancel the one-time maternity payment to mothers from the second child. This will mean a woman will be eligible for the payment just once, on the birth of her first child.
At present, women qualify for a one-time payment after every birth, over and above their entitlement to statutory maternity leave. A woman giving birth to her first child is eligible for an allowance of NIS 1,489, NIS 670 for the second child, and NIS 447 for every child after that . A mother giving birth to twins is eligible for an allowance of NIS 7,443. The Ministry of Finance is proposing a single payment of NIS 1,489.
"The Finance Ministry has apparently decided to declare war on working women, young families, and babies," said Yacimovich and Sa'ar in response.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 23, 2008
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