Maternity leave in the Cape Verdean civil service will increase from 60 to 90 days this month, followed by paternity leave, the Minister of State Modernization and Public Administration announced on Wednesday.
At issue, explained the minister Edna Oliveira, in parliament, is the entry into force of the new Public Employment Framework Law, scheduled for May 24, which also provides for the introduction, for the first time, of 10 days of paternity leave.
“The maternity leave, as it is already regulated and what happens is only the increase in the number of days, it is automatic. In relation to paternity leave, it will have to be regulated”, said the minister.
The minister was nominated by the members of the Independent and Democratic Cape Verdean Union (UCID) to the questioning of the Government in the first ordinary parliamentary session of May, which started yesterday in the National Assembly, in Praia.
“With the new Basic Law of Public Employment this leave was increased by an additional 30 days. In other words, instead of taking only 60 days of leave, they will now take 90 days of leave. Regarding the father, at this moment there is no paternity leave. What does exist is that the father, when the woman gives birth, is entitled to three days of absences”, she recalled.
Edna Oliveira added that, “with the entry into force of the Public Employment Framework Law and its regulations, the father will be entitled to 10 days of leave and 90 days for the mother.
“The regime that was approved, which is more advantageous, allows the father to be available to assist the mother for a period of 10 days, which does not happen now. And since our society has problems, I think that the more time there is for the family, for the father or mother to dedicate to the family, surely we will be able to overcome problems in our society in the future”, she stressed.
According to the Minister of State Modernization and Public Administration, this is a “pertinent” measure and “that results from the recommendation that has been made even at the level of the World Labor Organization. “In countries where there are better human resource management practices, this measure, whether it be the extension of maternity leave and the extension of paternity leave or its introduction, is something that is considered urgent”, he informed.
According to government figures, the Cape Verdean civil service has more than 21 thousand workers.