Childcare workers to receive 15 per cent pay rise

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Childcare workers have welcomed a government-funded pay increase saying it will help address the staff-shortages plaguing the sector. The 15% wage increase will be rolled out over 12 months from this December.

Transcript

00:00A really significant day for the childcare workers who've been pushing for a wage increase

00:07for many years now.

00:08From December, childcare workers on an award wage will have an extra $103 per week in their

00:15pocket.

00:16And then from December next year, when the full 15% wage increase comes through, they

00:21should have an extra $155 per week in their pockets.

00:27This is a two-pronged announcement from the Albanese government.

00:30It's going to be providing childcare centres with this money to facilitate this wage increase,

00:37but there's a condition attached.

00:40Those childcare centres need to essentially promise that they won't increase fees for

00:46families by more than 4.4% over the next year.

00:52When we look at what the Albanese government appears to be doing here, it looks like they're

00:55trying to kill two birds with one stone.

00:57They want to increase the wages of childcare workers.

01:01They also want to limit the amount that families are having to spend on childcare in the midst

01:08of this cost-of-living crisis.

01:10When we zoom out even further and see the broader context of this announcement, we know

01:14that the Albanese government is trying to really reframe and reposition the way that

01:19we look at childcare as a society.

01:22There were comments from the Education Minister this morning suggesting that when it comes

01:27to childcare, really the childcare debate is over.

01:30He says it's not babysitting.

01:32They lift up our kids.

01:33He's referring to childcare workers here.

01:35We're lifting their pay.

01:39There's another element to what the Albanese government is trying to do here with this

01:42wage increase, and that's really arresting the decline in workers in this industry.

01:48We know that there have been plenty of workers in this industry leaving because of the pay

01:53and the conditions.

01:54It's something that Anthony Albanese spoke of earlier on ABC.

01:59What we know is that during the pandemic, these are people who kept Australia

02:04and our economy going, and they deserve more than our thanks.

02:08They deserve decent wages and conditions.

02:10And the Productivity Commission inquiry has shown that unless we do something

02:16about wages in this sector, we won't have a workforce.

02:20It is the case that you shouldn't earn more just stacking shelves than you do looking

02:24after our youngest Australians in such a fantastic way.

02:30Prime Minister Anthony Albanese there talking about the 15 per cent wage increase for

02:35childcare workers.

02:36Now, when it comes to this idea of creating a universal childcare for all Australian

02:41families, treating childcare in the same way that we do for school, where anyone can

02:47basically just go along for free, the Productivity Commission are looking into that.

02:52They've filed their final report for the government.

02:54We're awaiting the release of that final report.

02:56But really, Lorna, today, all about the workers, this 15 per cent pay rise.

03:01It's been welcomed by advocates.

03:03And also this morning, we've heard from childcare workers who are welcoming it as well.

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