La titularidad indiferente del permiso de lactancia; el caso Roca Álvarez

Abstract

La sentencia del Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea conocida como Roca Álvarez ha provocado la modificación sustancial de la titularidad del permiso de lactancia, uno de los aspectos en los que se plasma el principio de igualdad de oportunidades entre mujeres y hombres y de conciliación de la vida laboral y familiar en nuestra legislación laboral. Dicha sentencia constituye el último eslabón de una cadena de interpretaciones jurisprudenciales que, aunque minoritarias, han tratado de impedir la existencia de un reducto en el que la trabajadora continuaba anclada en su tradicional papel de madre responsable del cuidado de la familia, excluyendo o postergando al padre trabajador por cuenta ajena de la titularidad del permiso de lactancia. La sentencia Roca Álvarez dio lugar a que, tanto el RDL 3/2012, de 10 de febrero, de medidas urgentes para la reforma del mercado laboral como, posteriormente, la Ley 3/2012, de 6 de julio, de medidas urgentes para la reforma del mercado laboral, abandonan la redacción inicial del artículo 37.4 ET para dar entrada al padre, además de a la madre, como titulares del permiso de lactancia del menor de nueve meses.

Abstract: The judgement of the Court of Justice of the European Union, known as “Roca Álvarez”, has led to a substantial modification of the eligibility to breastfeeding leave, an aspect in which the principle of equal opportunities between women and men, and of conciliation between work and family life, is illustrated in our labour legislation. This judgement is the last in a series of case law interpretations which, even if they are a minority, have tried to prevent the existence of a last stronghold in which women workers were tied to their traditional role of mothers in charge of caring for the family, and thereby excluding or delaying employed fathers of the eligibility to breastfeeding leave. The judgement “Roca Álvarez” led to the relinquishing of the initial wording of article 37.4 of Workers’ Statute to include fathers, as well as mothers, as being eligible to breastfeeding leaves lasting 9 months at least. Such amend was applied through both the Royal Decree-Law, of 10th February, on urgent measures for the reform of the labour market, and then, the Law 3/2012, of 6 July, on urgent measures for the reform of the labour market.