United Workers Union welcomes this historic decision of the Fair Work Commission to grant the first ever supported bargaining authorisation to early educators.

Today’s decision means that 64 employers and 12,000 educators will be able to bargain together and set a new standard in early education.

Most of the educators and employers involved in today’s application have previously been unable to access the traditional bargaining system, and no real path to change for this chronically undervalued sector.

The FWC noted that 90% of employees captured in the authorisation are women, and granting the authorisation would open up the possibility of improved rates of pay in this female dominated sector.

Quotes attributable to Helen Gibbons, Early Education Director, United Workers Union:

“Today the Fair Work Commission told us we can get started, and we won’t waste a minute. UWU intends to call on the Federal Government, as the funder of the sector, to come to the bargaining table and come prepared to fund a real wage increase.

“The Prime Minister and Industrial Relations Minister told early educators late last year to use the new laws in the Better Jobs, Better Pay legislation to set up tripartite negotiations and win better wages. We’ve got the ball rolling and now we expect to see Federal Government representatives bright eyed and bushy tailed at the bargaining table as soon as possible.

“There is a crisis in early education. A crisis that sees children being turned away, staff shortages across the country and educators burning out. The only way to turn this sector around is to start to pay educators what they are worth.”

ENDS 

Media Contact: For more information, please contact 1300 898 633 or media@unitedworkers.org.au.