OTTAWA—Treasury Board President Tony Clement said he remains committed to bringing in public sector sick-leave reform, despite a new report indicating little difference with private sector counterparts.

Clement told reporters that he will continue to push for a reformed public sector sick-leave system, with short-term disability plans replacing the ability to bank sick days.

“I am committed to going into the negotiations to change this antiquated 70-year old sick-leave system, to make sure that taxpayers are protected and get better results from our employees,” Clement said Thursday.

Clement was responding to a report from the Parliamentary Budget Office that found public servants took an average of 11.52 paid sick days in 2011-2012, in line with private sector employees in comparably sized organizations.

But Clement maintains the system is flawed, and said the Conservatives will push in upcoming negotiations with public sector unions.

“There are better systems out there in both the private sector and the public sector that can institute a short-term disability term that does not involve these banked sick days . . . and at the same time provides the level of coverage that is necessary to ensure that people who are genuinely sick get the help they need,” Clement said.

Robyn Benson, the national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said the PBO analysis vindicates the unions’ position that the system is not broken.

“Show us what’s wrong with it,” Benson said. “From our perspective, I think the PBO’s report finally says that Mr. Clement has been blowing smoke.”

Sick leave reform is expected to dominate negotiations between Treasury Board and the 27 different bargaining units heading to the table in 2014.