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Message: [QUOTE="Shamiso, post: 82999, member: 160"] Trinidad is finally entering the modern age with actual family support laws. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced massive labour reforms after the Cabinet okayed amendments to the maternity and severance acts. This update clears the path for paternity and parental leave locally. She described these approvals as huge wins meant to modernize workplace rules while reflecting how families actually function. Labour Minister Leroy Baptiste initially outlined these tweaks during a party press conference. The legislation will formally recognize paternity and parental leave for the first time. Benefits extend beyond biological dads to adoptive parents or guardians. Fathers can even access leave if a mother passes away after childbirth. Drafts currently sit with Attorney General John Jeremie before heading to Parliament. Fresh measures feature paid breastfeeding breaks while strictly banning pregnancy testing for job applicants. Workers get guaranteed job security upon returning from leave. The burden of proof in disputes shifts squarely onto employers rather than employees. They also scrapped that hated rule limiting maternity benefits to once every two years. Baptiste argued women should never face penalties for getting pregnant twice annually. Lactating mothers gain statutory rights to express milk without losing pay. Companies violating these discrimination rules could face heavy fines. Persad-Bissessar insisted young women can pursue careers without sacrificing family life. She highlighted how generations of women built the nation to ensure better lives for children. Baptiste claimed these changes transform things for everyone, from adoptive parents to contract workers. Consultations apparently happened with major trade unions and employer groups. [/QUOTE]

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