Warning on maternity pay cost.

(From Derby Evening Telegraph)

A Business organisation has said Derbyshire firms face extra annual costs of GBP27.6m if the EU votes to treble maternity pay.

This week a European Parliament committee passed a plan to make firms pay new mothers their full salary for at least 20 weeks.

MEPs are expected to rubber-stamp the move at the European Parliament next month.

The plan would effectively triple statutory maternity pay in the UK, which currently provides women with six weeks at 90% of salary, followed by a longer period on a basic GBP123-a-week.

Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber chief executive George Cowcher said: "The timing of …