Sucking on the public tit

[Gob]

Public servants allowed to breastfeed
ADELE HORIN
May 3, 2010

Mothers returning to work in the NSW public service have won a historic right to breastfeed their baby at work or express milk in a private comfortable space.

More than 116,000 women in the state public service are of childbearing age and are potential beneficiaries.

Under a variation of the industrial award for NSW public servants, women will get 60 minutes a day in addition to meal breaks to breastfeed their babies or express milk, and access to a suitable space with comfortable seating. They will also be provided with access to a refrigerator, where practicable, to store the milk.

Maria Cirillo, a senior industrial officer with the Public Service Association, said the new right should help allay concerns of breastfeeding mothers about returning to work.

''In the past women have gone to their cars to express milk or gone to the toilet,'' she said.

Some women had been harassed for storing breast milk in the fridge, had other people walk in while they were expressing milk, or had been forced to give up breastfeeding due to lack of support at work. The breakthrough, which takes effect immediately, came last week after negotiations between the asociation and the Director of Public Employment, which oversees the employment of public servants.

Ms Cirillo said mothers had a lot to negotiate when returning to work but had found it difficult to have a conversation about breastfeeding. In effect, the ability to continue breastfeeding had been taken away from many of them.

Previously the public service has had an ''aspirational'' policy to give women time to express milk but this was generally not put into practice, she said.

Ms Cirillo said managers might need to have a conversation with women returning to work about their needs. They would need to make a room available for two 30-minute periods a day and how it could be made private.

''This is not about being pro-breastfeeding; it's just about helping those women who are breastfeeding continue to do so when they return to work,'' she said.

Teachers and nurses would have to apply to have their awards varied, she said.


http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/public-servan ... -u1iv.html

[Sean]

Bitty!

[The Hen]

I was never in a situation where I was trying to breast feed and be at work. I am fairly sure if I did have to return to work whilst I was still breast feeing, I would not have wanted to express milk in either a toilet, or my car. I also wouldn't have been comfortable if I had people walking in on me whilst I was doing it.

Never think for one minute that breast feeding will come naturally to all women. It was not at all natural for me in any way shape or form. I was not one of these women who could just expose my breast, latch on the Hatch and throw a towel over her head. It was complicated, confusing and I was never entirely happy with the whole procedure.

[Aard Vark]

I'm sorry for all the women I am about to piss off.

I am now becoming a card holder for the Male Chovenist Pigs. I have never had to breast feed or give birth BUT!! I did bring up five kids near alone for 8 yearsyoungest 2. With that I say loud and clear If it was a man wanting time out to tend his child he wouldn't get a look in.

Come on there is Equolity anf there is Femminest and then there is that state that can not be talked about.
So we now have public servents who get one of the best paid jobs with no or little responciblity to what they do or don't do. One of the best super funds, garentied return to work after up to 4 year leave, garentied promotion after 5 years with or without improvement in work out put.
Infact you can be repremanded for completion of dayly work load before alotted time.

Now female public servents get an extra hour off at our expence, Sorry if you want children then you might have to take some time off work till they are old enough to leave with a strangers or may be you should stay home and look after them yourself.
I understand expressing in a toilet or sitting in a car isn't right nor is getting up to two hours a day paid break time
Hey if you know your job will still be there waiting for you after 4 years off there is no reason for women in the public service to get this.

[The Hen]

I mustard mitt, I was surprised to see the time off clause. I can't expect most women to think that expressing, or breast-feeding during work, is something they should be paid to do.

I would think most milkers would just be happy with an appropriate place for privacy that wasn't in a bog. I know I would if I had gone back that early.

[Aard Vark]

Sorry these are public servents we are talking about. they expect to be paid for doing nothing anyway. Because they do that most of the time.

I just have a problem with people that don't do their jobs propperly have no intention of working harder than is absolutly nessesary and worst of all don't give a sh#t about the public they are ment to serve.

And they want more!

[Big RR]

I just have a problem with people that don't do their jobs propperly have no intention of working harder than is absolutly nessesary and worst of all don't give a sh#t about the public they are ment to serve.

so do I; so, i'd bet, do most of us. But that's not the point of this policy; it's just to give women a few minutes to perform a bodily function and (at least) express the milk they produce in a sanitary and private setting. I know when I work if I have to use the toilet, I go; I can't see this policy as all that different. I do have a little problem with allowing the babies to be borught into the workplace on a daily basis, and would rather see the women being allowed to privately pump and store their milk, but I do think a workplace should provide for the rudimentary comfort of its workers--it makes economic sense.

[Crackpot]

One thing I have to say is when it comes to state run businesses (with a notable exception to the department of human services) round here is they have been fast courteous and informed.

[Aard Vark]

Noting wrong with having a clean place for the perpose of expressing milk. I agree that a woman needing such a place should have it..

Hey I cot an idea they should stay home and rais their children and not dump the inconveniance off at day care. I gave up my job to look after my kids. I lost more than a job

If you want children then you decide to have children or work. Put your kids first not your job
As stated the public service can have up to 4 that is 4 yeas extened leave, with your job safe and sound waiting for you, to at least give your children a start in life.

[Big RR]

Aardy--I won't argu with you that children are better raised by a parent at hom in the early years; both parents at home would be even better. But there are many reasons, financial and otherwise, that people cannot do this. I know many fine young adults who had both parents working while they were children; if the parent9s) remaining home has the temperament and desire to devote themselves and all their time to raising their children, all the better; if not, they'd b better off with thr professionals and then treasuring the time you do have together. The worstof all worlds is to be raised by an unhappy and resentful parent at home.