Labour MPs are expected to join dads with their babies today calling for better paternity leave. The event on the first day of Labour conference has been organised by The Dad Shift in locations across the country - protesting against paternity leave that they claim is the least generous in Europe.
As part of the protest, dads and their babies in dozens of towns and cities across Britain will stage the world's first mass "change in" this afternoon, wearing nappies that spell out what their parents think of UK paternity leave in brown ink: "two weeks is sh*t".
Paternity leave 'least generous in Europe'
Some dads get just two weeks off when their baby is born - paid at less than half the minimum wage. The UK's paternity leave is also worse than many far poorer countries. Kenya guarantees new fathers two weeks on full pay, as do Colombia and Paraguay.
The campaign stunt comes as the Government's review of parental leave enters its final stages, and at Andy Burnham's first conference as Prime Minister, with campaigners revealing almost half of Labour MPs are now on record calling for change.
Class gap in paternity pay
New analysis published on the same day shows a huge paternity leave class gap, with nine in ten statutory paternity pay claims in the past decade going to the top half of earners. Just one in 10 went to the bottom half, while maternity pay reaches three times (31%) as many lower earners.
The Dad Shift are now warning better-off dads get their pay and duration entitlements topped up by employers, so they can take leave, but dads on lower incomes cannot survive a fortnight on £194, so go back to work while their partners are still recovering, sometimes still in hospital.
MPs and campaigners back change
Amanda Martin, Labour MP for Portsmouth North and Co-Chair of the Labour Men & Boys group, said: "I don't blame parents for calling a spade a spade. Our paternity leave system sets up working class blokes to fail at fatherhood by forcing them straight back out the door the minute a baby arrives and it's not good enough."
Jon Pearce, Labour MP for High Peak, and one of the authors of a letter of 104 MPs to Andy Burnham, asking for action on paternity leave, said: "I know all too well that feeling as a dad that you're failing at work and you're failing at home because the systems just aren't set up to help you to succeed.
"We need to do better to give working dads every chance to face up to the massive responsibility of fatherhood, to bond with their babies, and support their partners as they recover."
Also participating in the event are media personalities Anna Whitehouse, aka the Mother Pukka, relationship expert Alex Trippier, and Movember ambassadors Jim Chapman, Gordon Smart and Jason Fo. The campaign was also backed by Tesco.
Emma Taylor, Chief People Officer at Tesco, said: "The arrival of a new child is a life-changing moment, and time away from work in those first few weeks allows parents to support one another, spend valuable time together as a family and build important bonds with their baby.
"Supporting colleagues through major life moments is fundamental to how you create a great place to work and, at Tesco, we offer six weeks of fully paid paternity leave and see first-hand the difference additional time at home during those formative early weeks makes for colleagues and their families.
"We believe family-friendly policies are not just good for colleagues and their families, they're good for business too, and we'd encourage more employers to explore what further support they can offer."
Minister for the Future of Work, Kate Dearden said: "The first few weeks of being a parent can be both some of the most rewarding and challenging. We are determined to make sure dads and partners can be there to provide support as much as possible, especially in those crucial first few weeks and months when mums are often recovering from childbirth.
"That's why we've already changed the law to give 32,000 more partners access to paternity leave, and are carrying out a full review of parental pay and leave to ensure we reflect the realities of modern work and childcare so that parents can spend as much time doing what matters most – caring for their baby."
