Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1398274
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 AUGUST 2021 8 NEWS Top 10 countries for paternity leave South Korea 52 weeks Sweden 12 weeks Slovenia 12 weeks Iceland 12 weeks Finland 11 weeks Spain 8 weeks Lithuania 4 weeks Portugal 3 weeks India 2+ weeks France 2+ weeks Midwives call for paternity leave to be extended to 10 days LAURA CALLEJA MIDWIVES from the Positive Birth Movement Malta (PBM) have petitioned the govern- ment to fulfil legal obligations to transpose into national law part of the Euorpean work-life balance directive, which gives fathers at least 10 days of paid paternity leave. Despite MEPs in the Europe- an Parliament voting in favour of the directive back in 2019, fathers in Malta are still on- ly entitled to one day of paid leave. PBM is arguing that increased involvement by fathers and sec- ond partners benefits both par- ents and the child in the form of better health and well-being for all the family. "Employers also benefit because fathers or second parents will be more motivated after taking their leave and feel more committed to their organisation. They can be more productive and better at prioritising their time," sen- ior midwife Pauline Borg said, Borg, who filed the petition on behalf of the movement, said the movement felt com- pelled to file the petition when the subject kept coming up fre- quently at meetings organised by the movement. "It is brought frequently up when we talk about post-par- tum, the fourth trimester and parenting. We felt we have a duty to pass on this message to parliament and to voice the message of the community in Malta," Borg said. Borg noted that in her expe- rience as a parent and midwife, she believed that more than 10 days was required for fathers and second partners to support the overall parenting set-up. Globally, South Korea of- fers the most paternity leave with 52 weeks, while Sweden offers the best paternity leave in Europe at 12 weeks and is known for its generous paren- tal scheme too. Nationalist MEP David Casa, who led negotiations on the European directive, said mem- ories made with loved ones were important, and that the birth of a child was perhaps one of the most important for a couple as it opens a new chap- ter in their lives. "I have always believed that we should make it as easy as possible for par- ents to be able to support each other and also their newly born child. That is what I wanted to achieve through the Work-Life Balance Directive," he said. Casa said through negotia- tions, MEPs were able to obtain benefits not only in paternity but also parental leave, creat- ing a better sharing of caring responsibilities between men and women to enhance gen- der equality and assist women in reaching their full potential in the workplace. "This will re- duce the gender employment, pay and pension gaps. This law is good for women, good for men, good for families, good for the economy and a crucial step towards a more social Eu- rope." Casa reiterated that the direc- tive was now EU law and that it must be introduced in every member state by no later than August next year. "I have joined calls for the transposition to happen earlier so that Maltese and Gozitan families can start taking full advantage of these new rights immediately." The MEP said that while the law ensures fathers and part- ners are given at least 10 days; the government was free to in- crease the minimum. "Other Member States already provide more than 10 days as paternity leave. I would argue that there is a very strong case for going beyond the minimum standard in Malta. What is sure is that this directive will increase citi- zens' rights across the EU." Turning to the opposition from stakeholders and unions for fear that the financial bur- den would fall on the employer, Casa agreed that the govern- ment should finance the new leave. "This is what a social government should do: ensure that the money generated is in- vested in the right manner." Casa said that in the medium to long-term, work-life balance measures will positively impact the economy and business. "They increase the possibility of women staying in work and reaching their full potential. And I would also argue that they result in a healthier and more productive workforce," Casa said. "This will reduce the gender employment, pay and pension gaps. This law is good for women, good for men, good for families, good for the economy and a crucial step towards a more social Europe" Giant snail farm proposed in solar greenhouses in Naxxar JAMES DEBONO A massive snail farm is being proposed in greenhouses on a 10,400sq.m plot along Triq tal-Balal and Triq A. Murray in Naxxar, in the vicinity of a new- ly erected old people's home. Cammast, a company owned by Master Wine Holdings, filed the application for the 4.4m-high greenhouses, which will occupy 6,000sq.m and have overlying photovoltaic panels. A number of trees found in the area are set to be "relocat- ed". The Planning Authority's agricultural advisory commit- tee has already pointed out that the PV panels the proposed PV panels are not allowed by the 2014 rural policy, as they cannot be considered as "small scale". While a draft policy regulating solar farms limits such develop- ments to quarries, snail farm- ing is encouraged by Malta's National Agricultural Policy, which has called for a compre- hensive study on its potential in Malta. New developments in food production sectors such as hydroponics, aquaponics, ver- miculture, insect protein farms and snail farming are viewed favourably. The PA recently approved an- other snail farm just 100m away from the newly proposed one, in the Xwieki area between Iklin and Naxxar. The farm was pro- posed by Malta Snails, a com- pany partly owned by the same Cammast di- r e c t o r , L o u i e Camilleri. In this case three greenhouses will be used exclusively for snail farming, covering a total area of circa 1,481sq.m. The farm will be operated as a closed system to ensure that the snails are contained within the green- houses, not to disrupt agricul- tural activities in the surround- ing area. Breeding snails are contained in pans of soil and low-growing grass to support humid condi- tions. To ensure a closed sys- tem, the pans' edges are equipped with a low voltage elec- tric fence to ensure the snails remain within the pan ar- ea. The eggs hatch around Sep- tember and the snails are har- vested in May, when they reach a weight of approximately 10 grams each. In 2014, it was estimated that the total consumption of snails reached an annual 450,000 tons, for a value of $12 billion dollars. Only 15% consumed presently originate from breed- ing farms. China accounts for 42% of snail imports followed by France (23%), Italy (10%), Belgium (6%) and Greece (4%). The edible snail accounts for 80 per cent of snails being bred in European snail farms.