Self-employed persons should not be subject to new rules on earmarked maternity leave for men.
According to the DR government’s point of departure during ongoing negotiations at Christiansborg on how an EU directive on earmarked maternity leave for men should be implemented.
– There are some special conditions for the self-employed, which makes us not think they should be included, says employment spokesman for the Social Democrats Henrik Møller to the media.
Existing legislation needs to be amended following an EU directive requiring all Member States to earmark a minimum of two months’ maternity leave for both parents.
In September, the social partners came up with a proposal that will earmark 11 weeks of maternity leave for each parent to live up to the new EU rules.
That model is being negotiated by the government and the parliamentary parties right now.
It may be possible to make special rules for the self-employed. The EU directive only covers employees.
The industry organization SMVDanmark is in favor of making an exception for the self-employed.
– Employees have a job to return to after maternity leave. Many self-employed people will experience not having it if they disappear for a longer period, says political chief consultant Alexander Neppe to DR.
The Liberal Party, which is the only bourgeois party still participating in the ongoing negotiations, shares the government’s desire to exempt the self-employed.
The government’s support parties, on the other hand, do not.
According to DR, they are vertically opposed to an exception being made for the self-employed.
– It is about men being given the same right to be with their very young children. And it’s a right for the kids to have their dad close. The child does not distinguish between whether the father is an employee or self-employed, says Samira Nawa, employment and equality spokesperson for the Radicals, to DR.
The new rules on parental maternity leave must enter into force in EU member states by August next year.
Source: The Nordic Page