Travel industry mums lose out on maternity benefits

WHILE the travel
industry has long
been female
dominated in terms of
staff numbers, many
travel companies still
only offer the minimum
maternity benefits as
required by law.
A recent snap survey
on eTNW, revealed that,
of 69 travel industry
respondents, 56% received
no pay at all during their
maternity leave; 13% of
respondents reported
that they received 25%
of their salaries as
maternity pay; 16% said
they received 50% of
their salary, 7% received
75% of their salary and
only 7% received 100%
of their salary. These
conditions contrast with
more generous maternity
policies offered in
industries such as banking
and insurance, who assist
their female staff with fully
paid maternity leave even
though these industries
are male dominated in
terms of staff numbers.
According to the Basic
Conditions of Employment
Act, pregnant workers are
entitled to at least four
consecutive months of
maternity leave, although
maternity leave is not
required to be paid.
South African law also
stipulates additional rights
for breast-feeding mothers
who are legally entitled
to two 30-minute breaks
per day to breastfeed or
express milk, in addition
to their usual lunch and
tea breaks. Although not
required by law, many
companies go out of
their way to provide a
private room for staff to
hygienically express milk
during these breaks.
However, according to
the eTNW survey, 53% of
respondents advised that
their companies did not
allow new mothers daily
breastfeeding breaks,
a violation of basic
conditions of employment.
Additionally 84% of polled
respondents advised that
the travel companies that
they worked for did not
provide private facilities for
their staff to express milk,
even if the legally required
breaks were allowed.