Minister advocates adoption of Nestlé's Parental Policy

By Linda Asante Agyei
Accra, April 26, GNA - Mr Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye Youth and Sports Minister has advocated the adoption of Nestle Ghana's new Parental Policy of fostering a supportive environment for Nestlé parents and breastfeeding mothers at the workplace.

The policy provides protection for pregnant women in the workplace, the right to extend maternity leave up to six months.

In addition to a minimum of 14 weeks paid maternity leave, a minimum of five days paid paternity leave, flexible working arrangements and employment protection and non-discrimination for employees returning from parental leave.

The policy, which is in line with the Nestle Global Maternity Protection Policy, embraces key principles set out by the International Labour Organisation Maternity Protection Convention.

Mr Vanderpuye speaking to the media after he toured the factory of Nestle in Tema, along with Mr Alex Kyeremeh, a Deputy Education Minister, to acquaint themselves with the rigours processes of production of Nestle Products.

The two Ministries are partners working with Nestle Ghana in the area of education and sports.

The Sport Minister said he is going to impress upon Ghana's labour authorities to consider the endorsement of such a policy, which would stimulate pleasanter work environments for nursing mothers.

Nestle's policy's addresses measures like, conducive working environment to breastfeed, daily breaks or reduction of working hours for mothers to breastfeed, access to breastfeeding rooms at work, equipped with comfortable chairs, sinks and refrigerators to store expressed breastmilk.

'I am highly impressed', he said, adding that, it would be desirable to have it as part of the national employment policy and will work with the Employment and Labour Minister to see how Nestle's in-house policy could become a national one.

Mr Vanderpuye appealed to the management of Nestle Ghana to consider the sponsorship of the national Inter-Schools and Colleges Athletics Competition, which has been neglected for a while.

He explained that the inter-co meetings, which were active in the past years, were the source of Ghana's talents who flourished into national champions.

'Because of financial constraints, the competition no longer functions as it used to be'.

He recalled a list of national athletes who came to the limelight as a result of the exposure at the inter-schools championships.

GNA