The CDLS has expressed satisfaction with the approval of the new law supporting families by the Grand and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale). The Confederazione Democratica Lavoratori Sammarinesi (CDLS) has welcomed the expansion of measures dedicated to maternity, paternity, work-family balance and support for vulnerable individuals, while also highlighting the contribution made by trade unions during discussions on the measure.
“With this reform, thanks in no small part to the substantial contribution of the trade unions throughout the consultation process, important progress has been made in protecting mothers, including those who are unemployed or students, and fathers, through increased benefits and the introduction of new tools for protection and support,” reads the CDLS statement.
According to the union, the law also addresses the issue of declining birth rates, tackling some of the factors that can weigh on the decision to have children — from economic sustainability to balancing work and personal life. “Countering the drop in births also means creating more favourable conditions so that people can choose to start a family without that choice resulting in penalties in terms of employment, finances or social standing,” the statement continues.
Among the points highlighted by the Confederation is greater recognition of care work, with the introduction of the caregiver figure and the expansion of leave entitlements for families with disabled members. The union also gave a positive assessment of the guarantees related to maternity and the tools available for balancing employment and private life.
“The CDLS also welcomes the strengthening of tools such as part-time work and flexible working arrangements, aimed at improving the balance between private, family and professional life — an issue the Confederation has repeatedly placed at the centre of its proposals,” the statement notes.
Overall, the CDLS considers this a “rewriting of the system protecting the family life cycle,” one that supports families from pregnancy through to raising children and caring for the most vulnerable.
There remains, however, one point on which the union is calling for further action. “There remains, nevertheless, one element which, in the CDLS’s view, would have made the measure even more comprehensive: extending the possibility of taking leave to care for a family member to cross-border workers as well.” This is an issue on which the Confederation has announced it will continue to push for changes, with the aim of extending these entitlements to cross-border workers too.
