The Government extends breastfeeding leave up to a total of 28 days for all workers

The second vice president of the Government and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, announced this Tuesday the reform of the breastfeeding permit to extend it to a total of 28 days for all workers.

"This is of great importance. They know that this was a half-hour permit and that it was conditional on the incorporation of this right in collective bargaining, so that unequal and discriminatory situations also occurred in Spain," he assured at a conference. press after the Council of Ministers.

Likewise, he stressed that "today all Spanish workers, also within the workforce of the Public Administration, will have breastfeeding leave for a cumulative period of 28 days."

Breastfeeding leave is included in article 37.4 of the Workers' Statute, which indicates that in the cases of birth, adoption, custody for the purposes of adoption or foster care, workers will have the right to one hour of absence from work, which they may divide into two fractions, for the care of the infant until he or she is nine months old. The duration of the permit will be increased proportionally in cases of birth, adoption, custody for the purposes of adoption or multiple foster care.

Currently, the right to be absent is conditioned by the provisions of collective bargaining or the agreement reached with the company.

It also points out that the reduction in working hours contemplated in this section constitutes an individual right of workers without its exercise being able to be transferred to the other parent, adopter, guardian or foster person. However, it specifies that if two workers of the same company exercise this right for the same cause, their simultaneous exercise may be limited for well-founded and objective reasons for the operation of the company, duly motivated in writing, and in such case the company must offer an alternative plan that ensures the enjoyment of both workers and makes possible the exercise of conciliation rights.

Likewise, it states that when both parents, adopters, guardians or foster parents exercise this right with the same duration and regime, the period of enjoyment may be extended until the infant is twelve months old, with a proportional reduction in salary after reaching nine months. months.

Likewise, it points out that whoever exercises this right, by his will, may replace it with a reduction in his working day by half an hour for the same purpose or accumulate it in full days.