MEDIA RELEASE
MONDAY 19 AUGUST 2024
SHARE THE CARE AND BRIDGE THE GAP
What: A call on the Queensland Government for a new entitlement of 18 weeks equal paid parental leave and rights for all public sector workers in Queensland.
When: 11am press conference, Monday, 19 August 2024
Who: Queensland Unions General Secretary, Jacqueline King, accompanied by Queensland public sector workers and Qld Nurses and Midwives Union, Community and Public Sector Union and Australian Workers Union Secretaries.
Where: Parliament House Annexe, Alice Street, Brisbane
Queensland Unions are today launching a campaign for updated paid parental leave entitlements in the public sector, demanding tangible action by the Miles Labor government in the fight to reduce the gender pay gap.
On Equal Pay Day, Queensland Unions say current parental leave entitlements are contributing to the significant difference between men and women’s earnings, and modernised entitlements to afford mothers, fathers and partners equal access and rights to 18 weeks parental leave hold the key to tackling the gender pay gap.
Jacqueline King, General Secretary, Queensland Unions, says while progress has been made with equal pay legislation and entitlements providing all workers some form of access to paid parental leave, current leave structures mean working mothers continue to take on significantly more of the caring responsibilities for young children, meaning women continue to fall behind.
“We know there are many factors contributing to the 12% gap in pay between men and women employees across the country, and one of these is the amount of time many women take time out of the workforce on parental leave, often as the primary caregiver,” Ms King said.
“For too long, societal expectations have been backed up by outdated entitlements, meaning women are assumed into the role of primary caregiver, currently making up 95% of workers accessing paid or unpaid parental leave.
“While many organisations will use Equal Pay Day today to pledge their commitment to addressing pay disparities between men and women, our campaign is a practical proposal to actually remove gender discrimination.
“If we’re serious about breaking down gender discrimination, we need updated entitlements that ensure women aren’t continually putting their careers on hold and taking a back seat, which we know puts women’s careers and financial outlook behind in the short and long term.”
Queensland Unions believes men are also disadvantaged by current parental leave arrangements, with access for secondary caregivers to just one weeks’ paid leave compared to fourteen weeks for primary caregivers in the public sector.
Queensland teacher and father, Liam Holcombe, says equal access to parental leave to raise their young family would have made a huge difference for him and his wife, also a teacher, as they juggled raising three children with the responsibilities of work.
“When our last child was born, I was only eligible to take five days paternity leave, which goes by so quickly, so chose to chip away at my long service leave so I could be around more for my wife and children,” Mr Holcombe said.
“I think anyone who has young kids knows parental leave is a far cry from long service leave, so 18 weeks leave for both parents would have meant my wife and I could have taken equal time off work to be there for our family unit.
“Every family is different, but the reality of juggling young kids and work can be hard, and often it’s a conversation between partners of who is going to stay home today and care for sick kids. This extra amount of shared paid parental leave would be a fantastic way of allowing families to manage.”
Mr Holcombe says he and his wife, also a teacher, both now work part-time as they strive to share the responsibility and time needed to raise their children.
Queensland Union’s Women’s Committee Chair and Deputy Chair, Sally Gunner and Sarah Beaman, both welcome the campaign, saying the proposal signals a historic shift in how community values the role of every parent and caregiver in caring for their children.
“This entitlement reflects a realistic model for modern families and would pave the way for more men in the workforce to put their hand up and take longer periods of parental leave,” Ms Beaman said.
Ms Gunner said employers have a crucial role in taking action to end the gender pay gap, and the Queensland Government would position itself as an employer of choice, particularly for women, by implementing these changes.
As the first woman Secretary of the Australian Workers Union Qld, and a mother of four children, Stacey Schinnerl says equal access to paid parental leave is a smart move and would translate positive outcomes not just for employers and workers, but importantly, children too.
“Our kids can’t be what they can’t see. If we want the next generation to be equal and empowered, they need to see us sharing caring responsibilities today.”
Key elements of Share the Care policy include:
• Leave entitlement: equal shared care of 18 weeks paid parental leave for each parent or carer.
• Grandparent leave: extending access to paid parental leave to a grandparent who becomes the principal carer of a child in the absence of a birth parent.
• Qualifying period: all employees (other than short term casuals) to access paid parental leave (reducing from 12 months).
• Concurrent leave: for parents and partners to access paid and unpaid leave for all or part of their period of leave.
• Shift workers: PPL to be paid on the rate of pay including shift allowances otherwise received except for leave.
• Reward Payments: Additional PPL payment of 8 weeks for employees with over five continuous years of service (26 weeks in total).
• Superannuation: to be paid on all unpaid leave up to 104 weeks (transition period from 1/7/2026).
• Flexible access: to paid and unpaid parental leave over a 24 month period.
• Pre natal leave: 1 weeks’ paid pre natal leave for both partners (increasing from 1 day for partners).
• Pregnancy loss leave: 1 weeks’ paid pregnancy loss leave for employees who lose their child between 12 and 20 weeks’ gestation for both partners.
• Premature birth leave: 18 weeks’ premature birth leave paid from the date of the child’s birth to just before 37 weeks for both partners.
Find out more about our campaign to Share the Care via this link.