A Stone dad was among those taking part in a nationwide ‘Dad Strike’ last week, as fathers and non-birthing parents across the UK downed tools on Tuesday, 11th June to call for fairer paternity leave.
The action was organised by campaign group The Dad Shift (TDS) and came ahead of Father’s Day, shining a spotlight on the UK’s statutory paternity leave system, currently one of the least generous in Europe. The UK offers just two weeks at less than half the minimum wage, with no statutory support for self-employed dads.
Josh Ball, from Stone, was among hundreds of parents across the country who asked their employers for a few hours off to take part in the school or nursery pick-up, joining a collective show of support for change.
Research from TDS suggests that current leave arrangements result in British fathers spending only 1,403 waking hours with their child in the first year, compared to 3,293 hours for the average mother. That’s just 43%.
The protest follows earlier actions in May, where campaigners hung baby grows bearing the message “Two weeks isn’t enough” in 120 locations nationwide.
Co-founder of The Dad Shift, Alex Lloyd Hunter, said:
“This isn’t about pats on the back—it’s about dads coming together to make a statement about the roles we want to play in our children’s lives, and the change needed to make that possible.”
Campaigners are now urging continued pressure on policymakers, with Labour having pledged to review parental leave this summer. Anyone who wants to learn more or join future actions can visit www.dadstrike.com.
