Hungarian Minority Party Frowns On Reducing Maternity Leave To 1 Yr, Calls For Alternatives

Borbely said one possible solution is to keep the two-year maternity leave, but reduce the maximum ceiling of child-rearing benefits, which is currently set at 3,400 lei (EUR1=RON4.2956), and to allow mothers to decide for themselves whether they want to return to work before the end of the maternity leave and receive an additional RON500 per month.

Romania's ruling Democratic Liberal Party on Monday decided to uphold the propositions submitted by Labor Minister Ioan Botis, which say the maternity leave should be reduced to one year and child-rearing benefits should return to 85% of the parent's average net income for the previous year, namely, the level in June 2010, before a 15% cut imposed by the Government. Botis said mothers should receive 85% of their average net income, for a one-year period, and be stimulated to return to work with an indemnity of RON500 until the child turns two.

Prime Minister Emil Boc said on September 20 that the Government plans to reconsider the child-rearing allowance, to make this type of social benefit less "generous."

On June 25, the Constitutional Court authorized a 15% cut on child-rearing benefits, on the condition that the allowance amount to at least RON600. Before this reduction, the value was equal to 85% of the year's average net salary for which contributions to the social security budget are paid.

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