Large corporations and trade unions are looking for a May 11 budget for Treasury Secretary Josh Frydenberg to bring women back to work by reforming their childcare and paid parental leave schemes.
Jennifer Westacott, CEO of the Australian Business Council (BCA), said Australia’s population is growing at its slowest rate since World War I, and it is important to increase women’s participation in the workplace. Claims.
“Our childcare and paid parental leave is a barrier for women who want to return to work and isn’t working for modern families,” said Westacot, who said the Productivity Commission has 90,000 nationwide. More than one said he wasn’t working last. Year, the main reason is the high cost of childcare.
BCA has told the federal government to raise childcare subsidies from 85% to 95% for low-income households, taper for families with incomes above $ 80,000, and provide a more flexible parental leave system for equal sharing of childcare responsibilities. I am asking you to promote. parents.
“The current system almost always encourages one parent, the mother, to take most of the time out of work,” says Westacott. “Our plan allows families to choose how to divide their vacation based on what suits them best.”
The federal opposition said it had a similar plan to BCA with the same goals.
“To remove some of the barriers that women have to work on the fourth or fifth day of the week,” said Amanda Richworth, an early education spokeswoman for workers. “For economic growth, it is important to unleash this very important workforce, the women’s workforce, and to do so, we need to support women in childcare.”
Former South Australian Prime Minister Jay Weatherill said reforms in childcare and early learning systems need to be addressed with the following budget:
“In modern Australia, most families need two incomes to buy a home, but they need affordable childcare to earn two incomes,” Wetherill said.
The union seeks free universal child care, 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 10 days of paid domestic violence leave, and women’s wage equality.
Michele O’Neil, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, said: Who will start proposing a series of budgetary measures later in the week.
“The 2021 budget will give us this answer,” she said.
AAP contributed to this report.