Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 1994, publiée 81ème session CIT (1994)

The Committee has noted the information provided by the Government in its report.

1. The Committee's previous comments reflected the concern of the trade unions over the inadequacy of municipal day care which, in their view, forced parents to resort to the more expensive and less reliable alternative of private arrangements, thus creating inequality for parents. In its comments on this matter, the Government notes that the new Children's Home-Care Allowance Act, which entered into force in 1985, ensured the parents of children under 3 years, a choice of either municipal day care or a home-care allowance. In addition to enabling a child to be cared for at home by a parent, the allowance may also be used to cover the cost of private child care. The Government states that all children under 3 years were extended the actual right to municipal day care in 1990, either in day-care centres or in the homes of carers employed by the municipal authorities. According to information provided by the Government, virtually all local authorities had managed to arrange the care of children under 3 years by 1990. By that time, 95 per cent of the demand for the full-time care of all children below the school age and 98 per cent of that for part-time care had been met. Moreover, the number of families receiving the home-care allowance had increased to 58,000 in 1990, as compared with 15,800 in 1985.

The Government indicates, in its report, that legislation passed in 1991 was to have further extended the right to day care by granting it to all children under 4 years by 1993 and to all children under school age by 1995. The Government also intended to extend the home-care allowance scheme accordingly so that by August 1995, all children below the school age of 7 years would have been covered by a social day-care or allowance system. However, in 1992, the Government postponed the entry into force of this legislation as the economic situation had worsened considerably. The legislative right to day-care and the extension of the home-care allowance to children under 4 years will now take effect in August 1995.

2. The present report also contains a comment made by the Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions and the Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals in Finland stating that the economic recession has had an adverse effect on the distribution of family support between men and women. The Government has also referred to the effect of the deep economic recession on the development of social security policy and benefits to families with children. This has resulted in a reduction of the level of the maternity and parental allowance, from 70 per cent to 66 per cent, and a shortening of the period for the payment of the maternity or parental allowance from 275 to 263 days. On the other hand, the Government has indicated that the 6-12 month paternity leave entitlement will no longer shorten the length of the parental leave. In addition, 1990 amendments to the Employment Contracts Act of 1970 have extended an employee's right to part-time leave for the care of a child at home until the end of the year in which the child starts school.

3. The Committee appreciates the full and candid comments of the Government concerning the measures being taken to maintain the promotion of the Convention in difficult economic circumstances. The Committee hopes that the Government will be able to continue its attempts to foster the aims of the Convention and that its future reports will reflect these efforts.

4. The Committee is addressing a direct request to the Government on other points.