Pay rises of up to 27.8 per cent recommended by the Fair Work Commission for low-paid workers in early childhood education and care, alongside other female-dominated sectors, are the latest sign of Labor fulfilling its promise to get wages moving again*, United Workers Union said today.
Today’s ruling supported United Workers Union’s arguments for a 23 per cent increase to a Cert III-qualified educators’ pay level because early childhood educators had not been fairly rewarded due to historical gender undervaluation.
“Life-changing pay rises for low-paid workers recommended by the Commission are a further sign Labor is successfully addressing years of historical undervaluation based on gender,” United Workers Union National President Jo Schofield said today.
“These recommendations show current annual above-inflation wage growth of more than 4 per cent a year is due to Labor’s deliberate policy settings that encourage wage growth for those who need it most.
“Compare today’s recommendations to the Coalition’s paltry wage growth of 2 per cent a year during its 9-year tenure, when real wages were in decline amid massive inflation.
“No wonder workers say they can’t afford to see a Peter Dutton-led Government – he would be a train wreck for wage growth because he wants to reverse laws that support pay rises.
“In relation to Indigenous health workers, I can think of no other cohort that deserves a pay rise more than these often-overlooked professionals.
“In relation to home-care disability support workers, today’s finding imposes a bare minimum for disability support work in caring roles, meaning a substantial increase for many.
“In relation to health support workers in female-dominated sectors, today’s findings represent wage justice that acknowledges years of being undervalued.
“In relation to our thousands of early childhood education and care members, today is cause for celebration.
“About 150,000 hard-working educators, more than 90 per cent of them women, can now lock in their 15 per cent pay rise delivered by the Albanese Labor Government, and expect more to come.
“After years of campaigning for recognition, educators should be proud of what they have achieved today.
“A high-quality early education sector gives children their best start in life, and gives families the support they need to return to the workforce.
“Labor’s commitment to lifting workers’ wages is unquestioned. It’s on Mr Dutton to say whether he will honour these pay rises, or whether the Coalition will once again target low-paid workers and stiff them on the pay rises they deserve.”
* Background:
Today’s recommendations stem from the 2022 Better Jobs, Secure Pay reforms introduced by the Federal Labor Government that gave the Fair Work Commission the specific remit to examine gender undervaluation:
- It was the imposition of new objectives in the Fair Work Commission Act to consider access to secure jobs and gender equity that gave the basis for a stand-alone gender undervaluation review.
- It was Fair Work Commission research announced alongside the formation of expert pay equity and care and community sector panels, established under the Better Jobs, Secure Pay reforms, that provided the framework for the review.
Successful union-led cases for work-value pay rises of up to 28.5 per cent in aged care also gave a basis for the review; new aged care pay levels were specifically referenced in the review’s issues to be considered.
For clarity, given today’s ruling is above the 15 per cent pay rise implemented through the ground-breaking Multi-Employer Agreement for early childhood educators, United Workers Union sees the 15 per cent as a downpayment on the total gender undervaluation ruling.