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United Workers Union welcomes new Jobs and Skills Australia figures showing sharply falling vacancy rates for early childhood educator roles, and new Federal Government figures showing $2,768 in early education savings for an average family since September 2023.

The Federal Government has cut early education fees paid by parents by increased childcare subsidies, implemented a 15 per cent pay increase for educators, and in December guaranteed all Australian families will be able to access at least three days a week of high-quality early childhood education and care.

Quotes attributable to Jo Schofield, National President, United Workers Union:

“The Albanese Labor Government’s early childhood education reforms mean lower costs for families and better wages for educators.

“Every child deserves the best start in life. These reforms go a long way to delivering the early childhood education that families and young children deserve.

“Providers are telling us the pay rise is doing what it was supposed to do, becoming an important tool to attract and retain educators needed to provide quality education and care to families and children.

“It’s also a demonstration of Labor fulfilling its promise to get wages moving again, in a sector where early educators have been regularly forced out because of low wages.

“There are clear incentives for providers to jump on board and give educators the pay rise, with reasonable caps on fee increases giving families confidence they are not going to face an upsurge in their cost-of-living expenses.

“We have seen providers across the spectrum signing up, and we see the early stages of take-up quickly becoming a flood.”

Background:

In a hearing at the Fair Work Commission on Friday, a successful application was made to add 20,100 educators to the sector’s Multi-Employer Agreement, enabling them to receive a 10 per cent pay rise, the first stage of the 15 per cent pay rise. Further additions are expected in coming weeks.

The new additions on Friday mean educators in more than 1800 centres, covering the top six largest providers and many others, are receiving the pay rise.

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UWU acknowledges that we meet and work on the unceded lands of First Nations peoples. We wish to pay respect to their Elders — past and present — and acknowledge the important role all First Nations peoples continue to play within Australia and in our union.

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Authorised by T. Kennedy, United Workers Union, 833 Bourke St, Docklands, VIC 3008