Childcare worker Ruth Harper at East West Childcare Centre,which will close for half the day on Wednesday.Credit:Wayne Taylor
East West Childcare Association director Ruth Harper said her centre in Fitzroy,Melbourne,will close for half the day on Wednesday,with 14 staff involved in the action.
“We know that investment in early years sets children up for success throughout their lives,” she said. “Yet we are still wanting to pay people $22 an hour,it’s crazy.”
Early Childhood Education Minister Anne Aly and Aged Care Minister Anika Wells say allowing controversial multi-employer bargaining will help women in the care sector negotiate better agreements and pay rises.
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“There is a historic undervaluation of the work done in female-dominated occupations like aged care and multi-employer bargaining could help address that undervaluation,” Wells said.
However,the key childcare union and operators say changing bargaining rules alone won’t fix the issue,and without a financial contribution from government,early learning providers would have to increase the fees they charge families to fund wage rises.
Business heads say giving employees the ability to form agreements across multiple businesses could tie employers down to unworkable conditions and open them up to industry-wide strikes. They have suggested an existing multi-employer bargaining stream for low-paid workers be reviewed.