Maternity leave provisions in the private sector to be reformed

Papua New Guinea is operating under outdated labor laws that fail to ensure proper coordination between private sector employers and employees.

Labor and Employment Minister Kessy Sawang explained that most of the country’s labor laws date back to pre-independence and require urgent review.

Sawang said under administration that they manage about 18 pieces of legislation, seven statutory offices, and one department in the labor administration. This year, she plans to focus on reviewing the outdated labor laws with the funding allocated by the government.

She said through this review exercise that they will focus on improving maternity leave provisions for women working in the private sector amongst others.

"I believe women should not be penalized for bringing the greatest gift of life into the world.

“If women work in a private company, we must provide proper maternity leave, similar to what is offered in the public service. This is an area I will address to ensure women are not penalized,” Sawang said.

She also highlighted that many of existing labor laws are discriminatory, such as the National Employment Act of 1968.

Sawang pointed out that the law prohibits women from carrying heavy loads or working underground.

"We need to remove these discriminatory provisions," Sawang emphasized.