Queensland union members make history by winning nation-leading reproductive leave
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 4, 7 June 2024, page 21.
This year’s massive Labour Day celebrations saw the historic announcement of nation-leading entitlements for Queensland’s public sector workers – 10 days' paid reproductive health leave and paid superannuation for all 52 weeks' parental leave.
The landmark reforms, committed to by the Queensland Government, come off the back of hard-fought campaigning by Queensland union members through the Queensland Council of Unions’ “It’s for Every Body” reproductive health leave campaign.
The campaign pointed to the fact that reproductive health can affect all workers, meaning everybody should have the right to access paid leave to manage issues related to their reproductive life.
Front and centre supporting the campaign were QTU members Emily and Troy, who stood up and spoke out about their very personal experiences.
Emily, a member of QTU State Council, the Women Teachers and Girls Education Committee, and the Professional Issues Committee, shared her personal story of working as a primary school teacher in Toowoomba, while managing the symptoms of her endometriosis diagnosis. Emily described how crucial leave of this nature would be to her.
“The ability to access paid reproductive health leave would make a big difference to my working life, particularly given my profession as a teacher requires me to be on the ball in front of my young class for much of my working week,” Emily said.
Troy, a member of QTU TAFE Council and President of his branch, shared the experience of undergoing fertility-related treatment with his wife. After trying for a baby for more than five years, they made the decision to pursue parenthood through IVF while juggling the competing demands of teaching.
“It’s been a big journey for us, and one that means both my wife and I have exhausted all our sick and personal leave to fall pregnant via fertility treatment,” Troy explained.
“This leave will be so valuable to so many women and men at various stages of their working life – it’s peace of mind knowing we can plan for medical appointments, and it also opens the channels for a conversation with a workmate about the reproductive health issues we may be handling,” he said.
Others too came forward, ready to share in the fight for Queenslanders. Their willingness to speak has sparked important conversations about reproductive health and how it affects all genders.
QCU General Secretary Jacqueline King hailed the announcement of paid reproductive health leave as a massive win by Queensland union members.
“Members across the union movement have been calling for the introduction of this type of leave because we know that how we manage reproductive health is an industrial matter, a work health and safety matter, and a community-wide issue,” she said.
Access to 10 days per annum (non-cumulative) paid reproductive health leave will come into effect from 30 September, with more than 265,000 public sector workers eligible throughout the state, including all Queensland state school teachers.
The leave is designed to cover:
- fertility/IVF treatment for each parent
- chronic reproductive health conditions (such as endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, adenomyosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and menopause symptoms) that require absence from the workplace, and the flexibility needed to manage symptoms at work
- preventative screening associated with reproductive health, including breast and prostate screening (capped at four hours per year)
- treatment associated with reproductive health, including hysterectomy and vasectomy.
The state government also made another history-making commitment, confirming that superannuation will be paid for every week of a worker’s entire 52 weeks of parental leave, whether the leave is paid or not.
The QTU recognises that this commitment by our state’s largest employer will support efforts to reduce the gender pay gap experienced by women. Jacqueline King said paid superannuation is a milestone moment for union members, who have spoken out over many years about the urgent need for equity for working women.
“We know women are disproportionately disadvantaged from time off work during parental leave, and too many women continue to move towards retirement and see huge gaps in their superannuation savings from time off raising children,” she said.