Labour backs bill giving ministers longer maternity leave
February 11, 2021, 12:18 pm

Labour backs bill giving ministers longer maternity leave

The maternity bill giving ministers six months’ paid leave is being rushed through parliament in time for Suella Braverman, the attorney general, to benefit.

Party support conditional on government pledging to end discrimination over pay and leave

Labour will back measures allowing six-month maternity leave for cabinet ministers through a bill rushed through parliament later on Thursday but will demand a commitment to tackle maternity protections for women during the pandemic as a price for its support.

The legislation has provoked a backlash among MPs and campaigners because it will offer six months’ paid leave only to ministers – not backbenchers – and will give ministers far more generous rights than the general public.

The bill will speed through parliament in a day to ensure provision is in place for the attorney general, Suella Braverman, who is expected to give birth within weeks.

Labour will support the ministerial and other maternity allowances bill but sources said there would be a number of concessions from the minister Penny Mordaunt pledging immediate action on maternity discrimination.

The government committed in 2019 to strengthening protections for pregnant women in the employment bill, on which there has been little progress. It comes amid concerns that pregnant women have been disproportionately selected for redundancy during the pandemic. Others were unlawfully placed on sick pay when pregnant women were advised to shield, affecting their maternity entitlement.The bill promises to extend redundancy protection to pregnant employees and maternity returners and introduce leave for neonatal care.

Cat Smith MP, Labour’s shadow minister for democracy, said: “The speed with which the government is acting to make sure the attorney general can take maternity leave is in stark contrast to its failure to support pregnant women facing discrimination and hardship throughout this pandemic.

“It is right that the attorney general is granted maternity rights – but the government must not turn the clock back on employment rights for women and leave pregnant mothers without the basic protections they need.”

The government hopes to use parliamentary procedure to avoid amendments on the bill, a move expected to be backed by Labour.

Mordaunt is understood to have told concerned MPs that there is not enough time before Braverman’s due date to pass more complex arrangements and the government has threatened it will pull the bill entirely if opposition MPs try to amend it.

However, Stella Creasy, the senior Labour MP who is also in the early stages of pregnancy, is threatening to take the government to court for discrimination for giving better rights to ministers than MPs.

Creasy, the MP for Walthamstow, said she had been given legal advice that the move could be a breach of human rights law – of a right to equal treatment and the right to a family life.

She said she “does not begrudge” Braverman her maternity leave but she would be prepared to make a legal case that she had been discriminated against as a backbench MP, with fewer rights than more senior colleagues. She said it would be a case intended to highlight the discrimination faced by pregnant women across all sectors.

A coalition of a dozen women’s and charitable organisations, led by the Centenary Action Group, which campaigns on women’s representation and participation in politics, wrote to the government warning that if the bill passed without any further reforms, it would “set a precedent of a two-tier system of maternity and paternity rights”.

The letter added that while it was “welcome” that government ministers would get six months’ maternity leave on full pay, “statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance is just £151.20 per week, equivalent to about half of the national minimum wage”.

source: Jessica Elgot

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.