Mothers returning to work in the NSW public service have won an historic right to breastfeed their babies at work or express milk in a private comfortable space.
More than 116,000 women in the state public service are of childbearing age and are potential beneficiaries, The Sydney Morning Herald says.
Under a variation of the industrial award for NSW public servants, women will get 60 minutes a day in addition to meal breaks to breastfeed their babies or express milk, and access to a suitable space with comfortable seating. They will also be provided with access to a refrigerator, where practicable, to store the milk.
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Maria Cirillo, a senior industrial officer with the Public Service Association, said the new right should help allay concerns of breastfeeding mothers about returning to work.
Harrassment
"In the past women have gone to their cars to express milk or gone to the toilet," she said.
Some women had been harassed for storing breast milk in the fridge, had other people walk in while they were expressing milk, or had been forced to give up breastfeeding due to lack of support at work.
The breakthrough, which takes effect immediately, came last week after negotiations between the asociation and the Director of Public Employment, which oversees the employment of public servants.
Teachers and nurses would have to apply to have their awards varied, Ms Cirillo said.
