News

The UNI Europa Women’s Committee is deeply concerned with the European Commission’s decision to further pursue and implement the simplification measures established in its Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT) in both the agreement on the Protection of Occupational Health and Safety in the Hairdressing Sector as well as the Maternity Leave or Pregnant Worker’s Directive.

The women of the UNI Europa Women’s Committee strongly reject the decision of the European Commission to disown and refuse to present the social partner agreement signed on the Protection of Occupational Health and Safety in the Hairdressing Sector. With this action, the EU Commission fails to act as “guardian of treaties” and continues disrespecting the autonomy of social partners on health and safety.

Furthermore, the women at the UNI Europa Women’s Committee are alarmed that the EU Commission, as part of its deregulatory ‘REFIT’ agenda, is considering withdrawing the proposal to strengthen maternity leave and the rights of women who have recently given birth and/or are breastfeeding, commonly referred to as the Maternity Leave or Pregnant Workers’ Directive.

This action will have significant long-term negative impact on women's earnings and their participation in the labour market which is a serious barrier to attaining the EU’s objective of a 75% employment rate for women and men by 2020. Not only will this new Directive have a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of both mothers and children, but it will also have significant implications for a wider range of EU policy objectives including: eliminating the gender pay gap, increasing women’s access to and equality in the labour market,protecting their jobs in times of crisis, fostering their social inclusion, reducing child poverty and improving children’s early years and life chances.

As UNI Europa Women we call out to the European Commission to respect the autonomy of its social partners, to uphold its commitments to thousands of workers in the Hairdressing Sector, to restate its support for better maternity rights and to re-engage in the legislative process to proceed together with the Council to a second reading of the Pregnant Workers’ Directive.