Jobs row 'could block neonatal care rights'

The economy minister has warned that new rights for parents of sick or premature babies will be delayed if her Good Jobs Bill is blocked.

Sinn Fein's Caoimhe Archibald is attempting to increase pressure on the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to agree to her major package of workers' rights reforms.

The bill is facing opposition from business organisations and has been strongly criticised by some DUP MLAs.

Archibald needs the agreement of the DUP before the bill can be published and debated in the assembly.

The bill is facing an increasingly tight timetable to be approved by assembly members (MLAs) ahead of next year's Stormont election.

Last week Archibald announced a concession which would exempt the smallest firms from one aspect of new trade union rights.

The DUP MLA, Philip Brett, said the move was welcome but added "significant concerns remain around a number of proposals within this legislation and it is vital that the executive gets this right."

Archibald has now pointed to neonatal parental rights which are part of the bill.

In a post on X she said: "I am greatly concerned that any further delay in progressing the Good Jobs Bill will delay paid neonatal care leave coming into effect.

"I hope that we can urgently get executive agreement to the draft bill getting into the assembly so that this important support can be put in place for parents whose babies need neonatal care."

The bill would bring Northern Ireland into line with GB where additional rights were introduced last year through the Neonatal Care Act.

As employment law is devolved to Northern Ireland, local parents did not automatically receive these rights when they went into effect across the rest of the UK.

It would give eligible parents up to 12 weeks of additional leave if their baby requires specialised neonatal care.

It would come on top of standard maternity, paternity or shared parental leave allowances.

A spokesperson for the Department for the Economy said: "If the bill isn't progressed to Committee Stage before summer recess, it is unlikely that this important support for parents will be deliverable in 2027."

The DUP has been contacted for comment.

Meanwhile the body representing trades unions has written to executive ministers saying that failure to progress the bill would be "a serious breach of trust" .

The Irish Congress of Trades Unions (ICTU) said it would also lead to its members questioning the worth of devolved government.

The letter reads: "If this Executive fails to progress the Good Jobs Bill, workers across Northern Ireland will have to seriously question whether the devolved institutions are capable of making an appreciable difference to their standard of living.

"The trade union movement in Northern Ireland would likewise be compelled to consider whether engaging with devolved government here is in the best interest of the thousands of workers we represent."