States fight over maternity leave, living wage and opening up more jobs to immigrants

Tuesday 28 April 2015

Six months’ maternity leave for new mothers, a “living wage”, a new network of town cycle routes and an extended Millennium Town Park could all be agreed in the next few years.

The proposals are some of the amendments that have been put to ministers’ Strategic Plan 2015-2018, as backbenchers try to grab their one main chance in the political calendar to shape the ministerial agenda.

Debate on the plan begins today, with the Chief Minister Ian Gorst setting out his Council of Ministers’ plans for the next three years. They have set four main priorities: Health and Well-being; Education; Economic Growth; and St Helier.

Senator Gorst has strong support in the States Chamber, and is expected to get through the vast majority of his proposals, and to successfully fight back against amendments that he and his council disagree with.

But the next few days will see long debates on several issues, as the non-ministers try to get their own ideas into departmental plans for the next three years.

In June, the States will take the next step of the process with a financial plan setting out taxes, charges and cuts over the next few years. That plan – called the Medium Term Financial Plan – will set out exactly how ministers plan to fill the £130 million black hole in States finances, and where the programme of cuts and new charges will fall.

The Council of Ministers has indicated ahead of the debate which of the main amendments they will accept, and which they will fight against.

The amendments they accept include:

• A proposal for more safe cycling and pedestrian routes in town.
• A proposal for the States to pay rates on its buildings, worth an estimated £800,000 to the Parish of St Helier.
• A deadline of 2018 for the States e-Gov programme.
• To only carry out the Jersey International Finance Centre development if it is financially viable.
• To let States Members debate proposals for the new hospital site and its funding.
• To rationalise States offices.

The amendments that they plan to fight against:

• A proposal to allow more newcomers to work in industries outside of finance and tech.
• A proposal for six months’ maternity leave for new mothers.
• A plan to set up a “living wage” for Jersey.
• A proposal to increase free nursery care for young children from 20 hours to 30 hours per week.
• A proposal for a more equal distribution of States seats to cancel St Helier’s under-representation in the States.