I believe the reason the employers were so worried and that this was such a sticking point was that they did not want the spectre of an almost indefinite period of sick leave being totally protected, by law, against dismissal. That might be acceptable for big multinational companies, but a great deal of our employment is provided by small and medium sized companies. The measure would create a very strong disincentive in such cases. That is the reasoning behind the concerns. While I can understand the logic and humanity behind the proposed amendments, I regret I cannot accept them.