An alliance of unions and voluntary organisations has launched a manifesto against pregnancy discrimination, setting out eight key policy actions for the next government.
The Alliance Against Pregnancy Discrimination came together following a report by the charity, Maternity Action, which found that pregnancy and maternity discrimination is now more common in UK workplaces than ever before, with as many as 60,000 women forced out of their job each year.

The measures proposed in the manifesto include:

  • Sending a strong message to employers (supplemented by a high-profile government information campaign) that economic ‘hard times’ are no excuse to flout the law on pregnancy and maternity discrimination
  • Drawing up a cross-departmental plan for rapidly implementing any recommendations from the Equality & Human Rights Commission’s current study – due to report in mid-2015 – which have broad support
  • Abolishing the fees for discrimination and other employment tribunal claims introduced in July 2013
  • Identifying and implementing further measures to improve compliance with employment tribunal awards to ensure that women actually receive the money due to them
  • Delivering a significant injection of funding into the specialist information and advice services that pregnant women and new mothers need to help protect their rights
  • Restoring the real value of statutory maternity, paternity, and related pay, lost as a result of below-inflation uprating since April 2013
  • Raising the rate at which small businesses can recover statutory maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave pay from the current 103 to 110 per cent
  • Creating a statutory right to time-off and facilities for breastfeeding at work and clear legal protection against harassment or discrimination for exercising this right.
  • The Alliance Against Pregnancy Discrimination is made up of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, the Family and Childcare Trust, the Fawcett Society, Maternity Action, NCT, the Royal College of Midwives, the TUC, the unions UNISON and Unite, Working Families and YESS.

Emma Game of Thompsons Solicitors said: “With the number of discrimination claims being pursued in the Tribunal decreasing, it is positive to see such manifestos being produced for consideration. The introduction of tribunal fees has made it increasingly difficult for individuals to access justice and this can be evidenced by the steep decline in the number of tribunal claims being brought. We agree that the Government needs to take action to tackle the problems faced.”

To read the manifesto, go to: http://www.maternityaction.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/AAPD-manifesto-2015-0914.pdf