Long gone are the days when childcare was only about feeding and putting the children to bed – now early childcare professionals need qualifications, degrees, continual professional development. And that’s before we talk about the responsibility the job requires, and the energy.
And a group of childcare professionals in Melbourne, Australia are making it VERY clear that they want their pay to reflect this change, and fast, by chaining themselves outside Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian Prime Minister’s offices.
According to the protestor’s, the 150,000 childcare professional across the country are “woefully” underpaid in comparison to other educators, in some cases barely above minimum wage. They want the Government to funnel extra funding into their sector, to ensure they are pad fairly for the important work they do.
“Educators like us are still paid one third less than those educating children a few years older, for one reason: our sector is 94 per cent female,” Samantha Leaver, one of the woman outside the offices told Essential Baby. “We are fed up. We won’t die waiting for equal pay. We want Malcolm Turnbull to fix this now. He has the perfect opportunity to close the pay gap in this year's budget.”
According to Essential Baby, at present Childcare professionals have a case before the national industrial tribunal stating that they are paid less than men with similar qualifications because of an “outdated notion that childcare is viewed as women's work in the home”. If the Fair Work Commission agrees, the government will have to decide whether to cover the increase.
What do YOU think of this mums? Do you agree that childcare professionals should be paid more – and given increased respect for the work they do? We would really love to hear your opinions on this.
