#10% pay cut for pregnant civil servants: “unacceptable sexist discrimination” for trade unions
Civil service unions deplore the 10% cut in compensation for pregnant civil servants on ordinary sick leave, calling it a “discriminatory measure”.
In a letter to the French government on Friday, civil service unions called for the “immediate withdrawal” of the 10% cut in compensation for pregnant civil servants on ordinary sick leave, “an unacceptably serious discriminatory measure”.
Since March 1, François Bayrou’s government has reduced the pay of civil servants on sick leave from 100% to 90%, after a one-day waiting period which does not apply to pregnant women.
“Our trade union organizations solemnly denounce this unacceptably serious discriminatory measure against pregnant women working in the civil service”, they write.
The letter is addressed to Prime Minister François Bayrou, the Minister for the Civil Service, Laurent Marcangeli, and the Minister Delegate for Equality between Women and Men, Aurore Bergé. It has been signed by eight organizations: Solidaires Fonction publique, CGT Fonction publique, UFFA-CFDT, FSU, CFE-CGC, UIAFP-FO, Unsa Fonction publique, FA-FP. "Manifest sexist discrimination
“Your policy choices mean that pregnant women on ordinary sick leave - excluding leave for pathological pregnancy or maternity leave - will suffer a 10% loss of pay from the first day of sick leave,” the unions denounced.
“Thus, a woman whose pregnancy has been declared but who is forced to take a few days off work on the advice of her doctor will see her pay cut”, they illustrated.
The eight organizations are calling for “the immediate withdrawal” of this measure, described as “clear sexist discrimination”, and “a full guarantee of continued salary for all pregnant women placed on ordinary sick leave on medical advice, whatever the nature of the leave”.
translated with deepl
EDIT: i added context to the title to avoid confusion.
I am from a ‘developed’ EU country. The first three days of sick leave you get nothing (this accounts for the vast majority of ordinary leaves) then 60% of the ‘regulatory base’ (which takes out ‘pluses’ or ‘bonuses’ that in some trades/jobs make for a substantial part of the wage) till the 20th day from there 75% (again without those extras).
In 22 years of working I’ve not been paid one single sick day.
Damn. I come from a “developing” third rate country. We’ve had paid sick leave and paid maternity leave since the 60s I think. Maternity leave was upgraded from 4 to 6 months about 10 years ago.
PS.: you need a doctor’s note the day you’re back to get sick leave, which you can get for free on universal healthcare if you can wait, or pay for private practice in a private clinic.
Most companies in Spain pay you a health insurance here so that it pays you the rest of your salary. (Besides free private doctor consultations and other stuff).