Monday 18 October 2010

Strasbourg Latest: EU threatens to push women out of the workforce

I eventually got to Strasbourg by car and avoided running out of petrol as many petrol stations were close due to the latest strike.


I managed to get here just in time to make my speech on Maternity rights.. This latest piece of social legislation, if passed will cost the UK up to £2 billion at a time when public and private sector workers are being made redundant in order to save far smaller sums.


At a time when governments across the EU seek to cut public expenditure, the EU seeks to increase employments costs, which will hot a sector where women are disproportionately represented, and therefore are most exposed to the possibility of job cuts.


If this is passes, it will actually have the effect of setting back the process of achieving equality for working mothers. It also opens up the horrible possibility that employers may choose male candidates over women.


These Europhiles are living in a Euro Disneyland, they have no real understanding of the effects of their 'wish list' whilst governments are slashing public finances the EU wants an increase of 5.9 % and only two weeks ago increased their entertainment budget by 85% to two million euro's.


We will be voting on this proposal on Thursday.

Make sure to tune into BBC Hereford & Worcester tommorow @ 8.30am to hear me talk about the controversial proposed EU maternity legislation