The IEU joined federal Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt for a press conference on 4 December to mark the formal signing of the agreement paving the way for 15% pay rises for thousands of long day care teachers.
The media event was held outside the Fair Work Commission in Sydney, where the agreement, which covers teachers and educators with 63 employers, has now been lodged.
This agreement is the first of its kind under new workplace laws passed by the Labor government in 2022 as part of the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Act.
Under the Modern Award, an experienced teacher in a long day care centre is currently paid $93,000 a year. The new top rate after the 15% increase will be more than $107,000. It is a vital step towards closing the gender pay gap.
Wages rising again
“This is a very special day for early childhood educators and daycare centre operators right across Australia,” Minister Watt said.
“For many years now, early childhood educators in our country have been grossly undervalued and not paid the money they deserve for the very important work they do for our children, for our communities, for families and for our economy.
“What today’s agreement means is that at least 12,000 early childhood educators and teachers right across the country working for over 60 different employers in daycare centres and other establishments from this month will be receiving a 10% pay rise with another 5% pay rise to come next December.
“It’s really pleasing to see this as an example of Australians’ wages rising again so that they can deal with some of the cost-of-living pressures.”
The Minister noted that because pay rates in the sector have fallen so far behind, teachers and educators were “leaving in droves” to take up work in other fields. He said the pay rises are also good for the long day care sector and the community as a whole as teachers and educators will now be able to afford to stay in the profession they love.
“I really congratulate everyone who’s been part of this agreement,” Minister Watt said, adding the pay rises are a mark of respect “for the really important work that they perform”.
Fair pay for vital work
IEU Secretary Carol Matthews said: “Today we’re seeing the ground-breaking outcome of unions, the federal government and a group of employers working together to lift pay and conditions across the long day care sector.
“The education and care of our youngest children is important and indispensable work,” Matthews said. “These long overdue increases better reflect the crucial work of university-qualified early childhood teachers in laying the vital foundations for our children’s development and lifelong learning.”
IEU member Fiona Black, who is a director at Koala Childcare Centre – Sutherland Hospital, Caringbah, presented the Minister with a special artwork from her young students. “We asked some of our children to draw a picture of their teachers because we were going to an important meeting about ensuring educators can be paid well for all the work they do,” Fiona said.
