Laws that benefit women in the workplace need to be strengthened so that female staff are less dependent on an employer’s whim.
Not too many people will be surprised by Tony Abbott’s decision to ditch his signature policy on paid parental leave. It was an unpopular policy that seemed to disproportionately favour women who needed government assistance the least.
This shouldn’t mean we turn our backs on the huge challenges facing working women. Real solutions are still needed and not just in relation to PPL.
As a union with 78 per cent female membership the ASU sees examples day in and day out of working women struggling to balance a career and a family. As a society we have been advocating for balance for decades, and most would agree that workplaces that fail to provide family-friendly environments risk their productivity and losing skilled workers.
