Republika Srpska lawmakers seek stronger job protection for pregnant workers
The parliamentary group of the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP) in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (NSRS) has proposed amendments to the Labour Law that would guarantee pregnant women employed on fixed-term contracts an extension of their employment until the end of their maternity leave.
PDP parliamentary group leader Tanja Vukomanović said the aim of the proposed amendments is to protect pregnant women who, she noted, often lose their jobs a few months before going on maternity leave because their fixed-term contracts expire, CE Report quotes FENA.
"We have witnessed cases where pregnant women have their employment contracts terminated just a few months before starting maternity leave, and those contracts are never renewed. With these amendments, we want to protect them by requiring employers to automatically extend their contracts until the end of their maternity leave," Vukomanović said at a press conference in Banja Luka.
She emphasized that both trade union representatives and employers support the proposal, noting that employers would not face any additional financial burden because the state covers compensation during pregnancy-related leave and maternity leave.
According to Vukomanović, losing a job during pregnancy places additional stress on women, leading some to postpone starting a family out of fear of becoming unemployed.
She expressed hope that the proposed amendments would be among the first laws considered by the new composition of the NSRS after it is constituted, if no further parliamentary sessions are held before the elections.
PDP lawmaker Bojan Kresojević said that protecting pregnant women and new mothers should not become a matter of political division between the government and the opposition.
He added that implementing the proposed Labour Law amendments would require approximately 5 million convertible marks (KM) annually from the Republika Srpska budget.
Photo Instagram/tanja.vukomanovic
