Yesterday, at the ASTI conference in Kerry, teachers appealed for pregnancy-related illness to be treated separately to other illnesses and not to be counted as ‘sick days’.
This comes after changes were introduced under the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme last year, whereby pregnancy-related illness was made to count towards a teacher’s overall sick leave allowance.
Teachers spoke out against the measures yesterday, however, claiming that female teachers are being “punished” for having difficult pregnancies.
Mum-of-one and teacher Mairead Wilson, of the ASTI’s Stillorgan Branch, shared a personal insight into how the measures have affected her, and how they threaten to affect her in the future.
Mairead revealed that she ended up having to take 18 weeks unpaid leave after the birth of her son, who was 12 weeks premature. Having previously suffered two miscarriages, naturally she will want to focus on her own wellbeing and that of any future children, without the stress of these provisions at work.
“If I’m lucky enough to get pregnant again and get to the point of viability then it means bed rest so I can hold on to the baby,” said Mairead.
Let’s hope that the powers that be will listen and introduce a fairer system for all.
