Under current rules, female workers in Europe are entitled to 14 weeks off with pay, while in the UK they can take a year's leave with six weeks at 90 per cent of earnings and the next 33 on statutory maternity pay of £123 a week.
However, a new directive intends to standardise leave across all 27 European Union states, but this has been criticised by employment minister Lord Young.
'We already have a generous system which is better than many European Union countries and works well, balancing the needs of businesses and workers,' he commented.
The British Chambers of Commerce also claimed that the plans will create an unnecessary financial burden as the UK attempts to recover from the recession, after experts suggested they could cost the economy up to £2 billion a year.
Recently, the Office for National Statistics claimed that the gender pay gap for full-time employees fell from 12.6 per cent to 12.2 per cent in 2008.
However, a new directive intends to standardise leave across all 27 European Union states, but this has been criticised by employment minister Lord Young.
'We already have a generous system which is better than many European Union countries and works well, balancing the needs of businesses and workers,' he commented.
The British Chambers of Commerce also claimed that the plans will create an unnecessary financial burden as the UK attempts to recover from the recession, after experts suggested they could cost the economy up to £2 billion a year.
Recently, the Office for National Statistics claimed that the gender pay gap for full-time employees fell from 12.6 per cent to 12.2 per cent in 2008.
