IEUA Speaks: Union action delivers long overdue pay rises in long day care
12 August 2024
The announcement by the federal Labor government of a 15% pay rise for workers in long day care is rightly being celebrated across the community.
Union members made this happen.
This historic recognition of early childhood education professionals wouldn’t be possible without years of union members fighting for fairer workplace laws. Collective bargaining is now available on an industry basis to thousands of female workers previously denied the opportunity to bargain for better pay and conditions.
The IEU joined the United Workers Union (UWU) and the Australian Education Union (AEU) in seeking the nation’s first Supported Bargaining Agreement when new bargaining laws were introduced in June 2023. It was this union led process that has ultimately secured the federal government’s commitment to fund a 15% pay rise for long day care workers.
The 2023 reforms to workplace laws enable unions to extend our strong record of collective bargaining success to areas of the workforce left behind under the previous system.
Further supported bargaining applications are already underway by the IEU to address the significant pay gaps in other areas of education such as not-for-profit community pre-schools in NSW.
Fair pay and working conditions are a critical part of valuing our early childhood workforce. Union members and the federal government are to be commended for delivering this historic win that begins to narrow the gender pay gap in one of our most important industries.
