United Workers Union are once again calling all Educators to shut down the sector on the 8th of March, International Women's Day due to wage issues.
"Educators [are] forced to make the hard choice between the job they are so dedicated to, or leaving to find a job that can pay their bills," stated Helen Gibbons, the United Workers Union's director of early education.
The government and educators have been discussing establishing new pay standards for the industry, but Gibbons declared that it's time "to take unprecedented national action."
Early childhood educators make up more than 92% of the workforce, and union representatives think this contributes to the industry's long history of underappreciation and low pay.
In September of 2023, the union Fair Work Commission approved the union's application for multi-employer bargaining which included up to 25% increase and the right to protected industrial action. However, no decision has been made on new wages or conditions in the new agreement.
This is not the first time the United Workers Union has called Educators to shut day early learning services. The most recent one occurred on September 7, 2022, for the same reasons of pay and conditions. Strikes across the sector have also occurred in 2018.
- Educators Plan To Shut Down The Early Learning Sector and Strike On Early Childhood Educators Day - Hundreds of early childhood union members voted to take national action, shut down the early learning sector and take to the streets on Early Childhood Educators Day on September 7.
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Childcare Educators To Go On Strike To Protest Low Pay Rates - On Wednesday, March 8, 2017 (International Women's Day), at 3:20 pm, childcare educators across Australia are set to walk off the job to protest pay rates and draw attention to the large pay gap between male and female-dominated professions.
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Educators To Walk Off For The Fourth Time For Equal Pay - In 2018, Educators struck for equal pay, on the 5th of September, the fourth in 18 months, demanding equal pay be taken seriously in the next election.
References:
Childcare Workers To Go On Strike Next Month, Listenr
Educators To Take National Action, United Workers
Supporting Multi-Employer Bargaining, Community Ealy Learning Australia