People need to understand that there are few things more destructive to employers than the costs they must bear for workers when they aren't working ... and that includes pension costs, disability payments, etc. Add this to the mix and you've got a recipe for disaster for a lot of employers.
Its one thing to have paid sick leave... but paid leave in general would create a disincentive to not work.
If the employer is going to pay you anyway for not showing up, why bother to punch in the clock?
In a jobless world, how people would get income would be structured differently but paid leave in a world where things need to get done simply cripple productivity.