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Who We Are |
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Our Branch looks after people employed in the Telecoms
industry in the Essex (outside the M25 area), & South East
Herts (Bishop Stortford) area. Company's whose members we
represent include BT, Telewest/NTL, Telent, O2, Global
Marine, Monteray & Manpower.
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Welcome to The South East Anglia branch of the CWU |
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Maternity Rights and
Other Changes Under the Work and Families Act 2006
The first set of changes in parental rights and other matters as a
result of the Work and Families Act have now been legally enacted.
Changes to the rules affecting working during pregnancy, maternity leave,
maternity pay, and return to work, for parents whose expected week of
childbirth begins on or after 1st April 2007 or in respect of adoption where
for workers with whom a child is expected to be placed for adoption, where the
placement is expected to occur on or after 1st April 2007.
For all pregnant women
. All will be entitled to both 26 weeks ordinary maternity and, if they
want, a further 26 weeks additional maternity leave regardless of length of
service
. The payment period for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Maternity Allowance
(MA) will be extended to 39 weeks
. The notice a woman must give if she is changing her date of return from
maternity leave will be increased from 28 days to 8 weeks
. Optional keeping in touch days will be introduced enabling a woman to work
for up to 10 days during her maternity leave period without losing their
entitlement to SMP or MA.
The women who will be affected by these changes may already be pregnant.
Neither the Parental Rights Booklet nor the Maternity Pack details will be
changed immediately as a number of women will still be governed by the old
rights for a while yet.
Adoption Changes
. The adoption pay equivalent of Statutory Maternity Pay will also be
extended to 39 weeks from April 1 2007.
Other Planned Changes
The Government has announced:
1. That the right to apply for flexible working can be extended to carers of
adults. This is due in April 2007 but the detailed provisions have not been
published yet.
2. That they intend to move to a full year Statutory Maternity Pay by the end
of this Parliament.
3. That when they introduce the full year payment of SMP the partner of the
person entitled to the full year will be eligible for up to 26 weeks paternity
leave and pay if their partner surrenders some of their entitlement to them.
4. That the statutory right to 20 days holiday with pay will be extended to 28
days (5.6 weeks) in two phases. The consultation proposes bringing this in two
stages. 24 days from 1 October 2007 and the other 4 days at a further date to
be announced.
The improved elements in these changes are largely brought in as the result
of the CWU and other unions work in the Labour Party to include a number of
commitments in the 2005 General Election manifesto
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