The Greens are joining the United Workers Union (UWU) in calling on the Labor Government to take urgent action to guarantee fair pay for the nation's early childhood educators and prevent a looming pay cliff.
The call follows recent Fair Work Commission (FWC) updates to the Children's Services Award. With the FWC's decision to stretch long-term pay increases across several years, a dangerous gap now exists between the scheduled end of current worker retention payments and the actual implementation of the new pay increases. Currently, the expiration of interim retention payments could leave thousands of educators in this majority-female workforce facing a real-terms pay reduction just before next Christmas.
The Greens are urging the Government to bridge the funding gap and permanently lock in the 15% pay increase to ensure stability for workers and the sector.
As stated by Greens Early Childhood Education and Care Spokesperson, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:
"After a gruelling year, it is cruel and indefensible to leave educators facing the anxiety of pay uncertainty before next Christmas.
"Staggering this award increase will hurt educators during a cost-of-living crisis and threatens to destabilise the entire workforce.
"The Albanese Government must fund the gap and lock in a permanent 15 per cent pay rise that workers and their unions have been calling for.
"Our kids deserve safe, high-quality care, but that's only possible if the educators at the heart of the system have a fair wage and a secure future.
