A first-of-its-kind agreement covering 64 major early childhood education and care providers is due to be signed today, awarding 12,000 early educators a 10 per cent pay rise before Christmas.
And a further 16,000 educators at Australia’s largest early education provider, Goodstart Early Learning, are also set to receive the pay rise in an agreement being voted on next week.
The agreement covering 64 employers is the finalisation of the first-ever supported bargaining application made under the Albanese Labor Government’s Secure Jobs Better Pay legislation, introduced to address gender pay gaps and get wages moving again.
The agreements chart a guaranteed pathway for 200,000 early educators across the sector to gain the 15 per cent pay increase announced by the Federal Government in August, subject to early education providers agreeing to caps on fee increases.
The first pay rise of 10 per cent is due in December – with back pay available if the process is delayed – with the next 5 per cent paid the following December.
“What we are due to sign today gives early educators a pay increase that will help them put food on the table and a strong incentive to stay in a sector they love,” United Workers Union Early Education Director Carolyn Smith said today.
“The ability to attract and retain early educators also gives families the confidence their children will benefit from the stability, expertise and care offered in well-staffed centres.
“This pay rise is now within easy reach of hundreds of thousands of educators, which promises to be truly transformational for the sector and the families who rely on it.
“In as little as seven days after the agreement is registered, a centre or early childhood provider that agrees to fee increase caps can put in place the same workplace agreement and early educators can gain access to the full 15 per cent pay rise.”
United Workers Union lodged the supported bargaining stream application on June 6 last year, the first ever application, lodged on the day the new bargaining laws came into effect.
It became the first supported bargaining application to be authorised by the Fair Work Commission on September 27 last year.
As a feature of the bargaining stream, the Federal Government was able to be brought to the negotiating table for the agreement as the main funder of the sector.
Quotes attributable to NSW early educator Christine:
“It really does mean a lot to me for this to happen … there’s all the girls at work that have young children and they’re moving back in with their parents because they can’t afford expenses, or they’re taking on a second job.
“I want to see them be recognised and get the money that they deserve and need, because it’s not an easy job.”