The coalition government has confirmed plans to restore three days of family care leave under its proposed Employment Relations Bill 2025, but the decision not to reintroduce paternity leave has sparked criticism from the Opposition.

Responding to a question from Opposition MP Virendra Lal, Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh told Parliament that the coalition is committed to protecting workers’ rights through balanced and consultative reforms.

“Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish to inform this August House that the coalition government has taken proactive steps to ensure that the rights and welfare of our workers and employers continue to be strengthened and safeguarded through proper legislative reforms.”

Singh says family care leave, first introduced in 2018, was gradually reduced from five to two days before being completely scrapped in April 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He says the new Bill restores up to three working days of leave, limited to caring for immediate family members or household residents — a safeguard to prevent abuse of the provision.

He stresses that the proposed amendment came after wide stakeholder consultations with employers, workers’ unions, and the public.

However, the Minister confirmed that paternity leave will not return, at least not in this round of legislative changes.

That omission drew swift backlash from the Opposition benches.

Opposition MP Virendra Lal accused the Minister of misrepresenting the reforms as “proactive,” arguing that rights have in fact been rolled back.

“The Minister talks about proactive measures, yet family care leave has been reduced from five to three days and paternity leave completely removed. Where is the progress in that?.”

Opposition MP Alvick Maharaj also questioned what he described as a double standard, noting that when previous governments adjusted leave entitlements, unions and workers protested — yet now, “reducing it further seems to be celebrated.”

Singh defended the reforms as balanced and practical, insisting that government must consider both employee welfare and employer concerns.

The Employment Relations Bill 2025 is currently before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, which will review submissions before presenting its final report to Parliament.

If passed, the Bill will mark a partial reinstatement of benefits rolled back during the pandemic, though critics argue it still falls short of the coalition’s promises to fully restore workers’ rights.

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