Posted on 02/10/2005 11:50:53 AM PST by pissant
Female workers at carmaker Toyota could soon benefit from 12 days paid menstrual leave each year.
The claim is one of 600 improvements being sought by the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) from the company.
Others include employer-provided childcare, 10 per cent annual pay rises for three years and superannuation payments of 15 per cent by 2007.
The union's Vehicle Division has started negotiations with the car manufacturer over a new enterprise bargaining agreement to replace the document that expires later this year.
The agreement would cover about 4000 people of which 10 to 12 per cent were women.
"We're at the working party stage at the moment," said AMWU Vehicle Division federal secretary Ian Jones, who is also chairman of the Federation of Vehicle Industry Unions.
Mr Jones said the thinking behind the menstrual leave provision was "obvious".
"It's the same as why we have maternity leave and parental leave, these are all matters that deal with your working life and issues that you can't ignore," he said.
Advertisement Advertisement"We believe that people should be given that time off to accommodate the circumstances that they find themselves in."
The menstrual leave would be in addition to sick leave.
"A lot of women have terribly bad periods and they are genuinely ill and we simply say that has to be recognised."
It was the first time the AMWU had tried to win menstrual leave provisions, he said.
"Every negotiation we do provides us with pointers to pursue elsewhere, but only where it's relevant, I mean we wouldn't be pursuing menstrual leave in a foundry."
While most of Toyota's workers would not benefit from the extra leave days "unless men can grow a womb", only women who were genuinely ill because of their periods would be entitled to the leave, Mr Jones said.
Comment was being sought from Toyota Australia.
The jaw drops . . . . .
The mind reels . . . . .
Is THIS the most important thing a union has to worry about!!??
If so, it's time to be done with unions!!!!!!!!!
This could lead to a vicious cycle.
Okay, as a male, can I have "My nuts hurt" leave? I figure 12 days a year paid leave should be enough. I'll take all 12 days at the end of December. And I want my holiday pay too.
You're funny!
You mean Manstrual Leave ;)
Men should get the same thing, so we can get away from those wimmen who have PMS.
My wife was the first female supervisor in a southern cotton mill. The men used to let the women leave because of "female problems" because they didn't want to discuss it. After my wife got there, they just sent them to her. My wife would tell them "We all have the curse, sister, get back to work". That ended that.
This isn't really good, as the company will be reluctant to hire women of childbearing age because they are going to cost more.
Good one,azhenfud!
Men seeking reproductive rights also, demanding time for "nooners".
Bloody ridiculous.
or just a sick day, sheesh.
What next, hang nail day? What are we teaching our children? Any stupid little ailment requires a whole day off?
Just give me chocolate and no one gets hurt!
I demand 3 QYB days every month. (Quit Yer Bi**hin)
I work in the automotive industry.
Ten per cent pay raises every year for 3 years? On what basis?
LOL! Ahhhh, the good old days...
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