Brussels, 12/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - During their meeting on Monday 9 March in Brussels, EU employment and social affairs ministers adopted conclusions on “new skills for new jobs - anticipating and matching labour market and skills needs”. In these conclusions, the Council invites member states and the Commission to “develop the policies and services to address skills needs and labour market mismatches, including better information on skills needs in the EU in the medium and long term, regularly updating projections of future macroeconomic, demographic and labour market trends at the local, regional, national and European levels, where appropriate, and the analysis of skills needs by sector, taking into account business needs”. The conclusions are available at: http://www.consilium.europa.eu .
Ministers also examined the proposal for a new directive on maternity leave (which revises the current directive 92/85/EEC of 1992). The Council has begun examining this proposal which increases minimum maternity leave from 14 to 18 weeks and recommends that women be paid 100% of their salary during maternity leave. Still according to this proposal, member states have the possibility of fixing a ceiling at the sick benefit level. Women will have more of a margin for choosing the period during which they take the non-compulsory part of their leave (before or after childbirth). Protection against dismissal will be strengthened and women will have the right to return to their jobs or to an equivalent post after their maternity leave. Women will have the right (to be introduced) to ask their employer for adjustment of their working hours after maternity leave. The employer will, however, have the right to refuse this request. (G.B./transl.jl)