State school teachers’ mixed feelings over maternity leave

While a small number of state school teachers are complaining that the extra two weeks' maternity leave will be paid at a lower wage from the Social Security Department, other teachers whose maternity leave coincides with the summer school recess are complaining about not being compensated for lost maternity leave.

"A number of pregnant teachers working in State schools have lodged complaints with the Malta Union of Teachers about the fact that when their maternity leave coincides with their school's summer vacation, which is granted as a holiday for all teachers, the relevant period of maternity leave is automatically forfeited, forming part of the summer holidays," Malta Union of Teachers president Kevin Bonello said.

Summer holidays comprise of just over two months in State primary and secondary schools.

Bonello added that first and foremost, a number of teachers were actually unhappy about the government granting an extra two weeks of maternity leave, because their weekly social security wage is much lower when compared to what they earn through their profession's payroll, preferring to work those extra two weeks.

When applying for maternity leave, a teacher currently earns just over €160 a week, compared to an average weekly wage of €250.

Bonello added that the ongoing debate of maternity leave of teachers has involved several ongoing discussions between the union and the government.

"What we don't know is when the debate will be concluded but what we do know for sure is that we have sent a number of proposals to the government regarding the issue," Bonello added.

Brussels argues that people who have their leave coinciding on other leave - as in the case of maternity leave coinciding with the summer holidays - one should be compensated. But as yet, Malta is not doing so.

Last year, it was reported in the media that the teachers' union was rejecting claims by the European Commission that the government was in talks with it to settle an issue over maternity leave "which appears to be in conflict with EU laws".

The EU had also stated that it was Malta's responsibility to ensure the correct application of EU law and warned that, if the island did not comply, the Commission would take all the necessary steps to redress the issue to ensure full compliance.

At the time, the EU was referring to complaints received from female teachers that the Education Department was not allowing them to make use of their full 14-week maternity entitlement, over and above their statutory summer holidays.

As things stand, teachers who give birth just before or during the summer holidays "lose" their maternity leave entitlement, or part of it, as this is incorporated into their summer holidays. Other employed mothers get their maternity leave added to their annual leave entitlement of 24 days.