No, this is not a lament over Wrexham's sad departure from the FA Chancellor use the Budget to rescue Britain from the bottom of the European Chikicare Loague?
Before 1990, any subsidy an em ployer provided towards chikicare was counted as part of the worker's the 1990 Budget the then Chancellor, John Majoe, exempled employer's subsidy to workplace nurseries from taxation.
Women's groups and labour movement bodies had long campaigned for a change in the system which regarded childcare as a 'kuxury and the company car as a necessity.
However, realisation soon darned that as tax exemption was restricted to workplace nurseries, only some 2.000 chikiren would be alfected The campaign moved on to extend exemption to other forms of childcare.
Campaigners belleve that Lamont is considering extending exemption subsity of chideare vouchers. This would certainly be a cheap, popular move at a time when Feb. 15, 1992 No. 16 chikdren.
The government is absolving sof from any role in coordinating chikcare provision. The Tores argue that employers must provide facilties. ano the poremments to is merely to encourage "pood practice by roPresumably women in rural areas, where provision is notoriously worse than in urban areas, should dutfully stay at home and look aftor thoi own chicken - unpaid.
Union role
If Lamont does exempt voucher subskiy from taxation. t wil be up to trade unions to integrate chidcare into annual pay negotiations so that workers benefit from government oncouragements' Some unions are moving in this direction, notably MSF and unions in the chil service, health and local government.
Meanwhile, all parents are taxed themsoires, out of their wages. Women on benefit cannot afford childcare whie they look for work although they are debarred from Un. employment Benefit unless they have childcare provision avalable at 24 ROUS TO Training places sekom pay enough to cover chid care enner. Ano te wok question of affordability is the face of the greater problem of finding a place at all. Wrexham has pulled up to fourth from bottom of the Fourth Division; but Great Briain seems set for rele gation. Contact: Working for road, London N7 8JZ.
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