Second reading of MP’s bill today

BARNSLEY Central MP Dan Jarvis’ Private Members’ Bill – which will strengthen employment rights for new mums – will return to the House of Commons today.

His Protection from Redundancy (pregnancy and family leave) Bill will extend current protections on redundancy to help safeguard pregnant workers and those returning from maternity leave.

The Bill’s measures will also extend to workers on adoption and shared parental leave.

Three in four working mums say they experienced some kind of pregnancy and maternity discrimination.

Dan told the Chronicle: “No one should be penalised for having children, but too often women are. We are now six years on from the EHRC’s shocking findings and nothing has been done to tackle the grotesque levels of discrimination new mums and pregnant women face.

“The pandemic exacerbated workplace inequalities and today families are facing one of the worst cost-of-living crises in living memory.

“What new parents need at the very least is job security.

“My Protection from Redundancy (pregnancy and family leave) Bill is a step towards providing working families with security and dignity in the workplace.

“I’m proud it has crossparty support, including the backing of Unison, the TUC, Fawcett Society, the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the EHRC.”

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea added: “It’s a scandal so many women are forced out of their jobs because employers don’t know the law or simply choose to ignore it.

“Pregnant women and new mothers need much better protection at work.

“The current system just isn’t up to the job.”