43. Urges the Council to break the deadlock with regard to the adoption of the amendment to the pregnant workers directive accepting the flexibility proposed by Parliament so that Europe can make progress in protecting the rights and improving the working conditions of pregnant workers and those who have recently given birth; underlines, in this connection, the importance of effectively protecting motherhood and fatherhood by combating i) dismissal from employment during or after pregnancy, ii) salary cuts during maternity leave, and iii) downgrading of job status or remuneration upon return to work; emphasises the need to ensure that ...[+++]non-typical employees of companies, such as locums, freelance workers and other temporary employees, can assert rights to an extent that reflects the individual employee's work contribution in the period prior to pregnancy and birth, and which ensures the greatest possible equality of treatment in relation to permanent colleagues in the sector in question;

43. Urges the Council to break the deadlock with regard to the adoption of the amendment to the pregnant workers directive accepting the flexibility proposed by Parliament so that Europe can make progress in protecting the rights and improving the working conditions of pregnant workers and those who have recently given birth; underlines, in this connection, the importance of effectively protecting motherhood and fatherhood by combating i) dismissal from employment during or after pregnancy, ii) salary cuts during maternity leave, and iii) downgrading of job status or remuneration upon return to work; emphasises the need to ensure that ...[+++]non-typical employees of companies, such as locums, freelance workers and other temporary employees, can assert rights to an extent that reflects the individual employee’s work contribution in the period prior to pregnancy and birth, and which ensures the greatest possible equality of treatment in relation to permanent colleagues in the sector in question;

56. Calls on the Member States, in the context of the abovementioned procedure of amending Council Directive 92/85/EEC, to take the measures necessary to prevent the dismissal of workers during pregnancy and motherhood; calls on the Member States to take active measures to prevent discrimination against pregnant women on the labour market, as well as measures to ensure that motherhood does not affect the right of women workers to pensions and that the scale of those pensions is not affected by the fact they have taken maternity leave;

“worker who has recently given birth” means a worker employed under any type of contract, including in domestic work, who has recently given birth within the meaning of national legislation and/or national practice and who informs her employer of her condition, in accordance with that legislation and/or practice; for the purpose of this Directive it shall also mean a worker who recently adopted a child;

“pregnant worker” means a pregnant worker employed under any type of contract, including in domestic work, who informs her employer of her condition, in accordance with national legislation and/or national practice;

EUROPA - EU law and publications - EUR-Lex - EUR-Lex - c10914 - EN - Protecting pregnant workers and new mothers