Families hold parent strike over paternity leave
George Carden/BBCParents have 'gone on strike' in Brighton on Thursday as part of a nationwide day of action calling for better paternity leave arrangements.
Families gathered with placards outside Churchill Square ahead of the Government's parental leave review, which could finish later this year, and symbolically laid down toy tools in protest.
Mum-of-two Cat Southard, who helped organise the Brighton part of the national Parent Strike, said they were asking for six weeks' leave with 90% pay for dads to "help form a relationship with their baby and support their partner".
The government said they were reviewing parental pay and leave to "ensure we reflect the realities of modern work and childcare".
George Carden/BBCCurrently, mothers can take a year's maternity leave, with nine months of this paid. Fathers or non-birthing parents can take up to two weeks of paid leave.
Parents can also split the full 52 weeks of leave if the mother does not want to take the full amount.
Southard, 31, said: "We would like to make sure dads are getting more support.
"If you have your partner there it's much more likely it will go more smoothly. I had two straightforward births, my partner had to go back after two weeks.
"We both work in childcare. It felt ironic that we both look after other people's children and my partner could only have two weeks with his own children. It doesn't seem fair.
"Another reason we need more flexible working [is] childcare is so astronomically expensive in the UK."
George Carden/BBCOther parents said it was a struggle when their partner had a caesarean section and they had to return to work while their partner was still recovering.
Parent strikes are also happening in other UK cities, including London and Manchester.
Kate Dearden, Minister for the Future of Work, said: "The first few weeks of being a parent can be both some of the most rewarding and challenging.
"We are determined to make sure dads and partners can be there to provide support as much as possible, especially in those crucial first few weeks and months when mums are often recovering from childbirth.
"That's why we've already changed the law to give 32,000 more partners access to paternity leave, and are carrying out a full review of parental pay and leave to ensure we reflect the realities of modern work and childcare so that parents can spend as much time doing what matters most – caring for their baby."
