Govt Urges Legco Not To Delay Paternity Leave Bill

Acting Chief Executive Matthew Cheung on Tuesday urged legislators not to file amendments to a bill that will increase paternity leave for new fathers from three days to five.

The legislation is to be put before lawmakers on Wednesday and Cheung said he hopes the changes can be brought in by the end of the year.

He warned that any amendments will just slow the bill down.

But his appeal appeared to fall on deaf ears, as Bill Tang from the pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) said his group will move an amendment, requiring the government to review the policy within a year.

Tang told RTHK's Jimmy Choi that they want such a review because ultimately, they would like fathers to be given even more days of paternity leave.

"We always say seven days paternity leave is quite appropriate for the new parents, especially the father to take some responsibility to take care of the baby and the mother," the former lawmaker said.

Tang said the FTU still backs the government's bill because it is "real progress" on the issue.