Early childhood educators and supporters have been gathering in cities across Australia during November, calling for pay increases that reflect the professional nature of the early childhood education and care sector. United Voice, the union that represents these mostly female workers, is running the “Big Steps: Value Our Future” campaign for professional wages.
United Voice has also lodged an application with the Fair Work Commission for an Equal Remuneration Order to bring early childhood educators' wages into line with those of teachers and similarly qualified male workers. This application was made in July 2013, but the case has not yet commenced.
The Big Steps month of action began on November 9 when educators in Canberra gathered in a flash mob protest inside Parliament House. About 30 representatives of childcare centres around Canberra assembled in the foyer of Parliament House wearing the traditionally male attire of suits and ties.
They revealed signs with slogans including “Professional work deserves professional pay”, and “My work conditions — your child's learning conditions”.
They also sang a protest song to the tune of Once I Caught a Fish Alive before being escorted from the building. The modified lyrics were “1 2 3 4 5 / We can only just survive / 6 7 8 9 10 / Why not pay us all like men? / Why do you pay us low? / Yeah we're mostly women, SO?! / We are ready for this fight / Equal pay, it is our right!”
Big Steps events were held on November 14 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Townsville, Cairns and Darwin, and will be on November 21 in Hobart and Perth.
You can support the Big Steps campaign at www.bigsteps.org.au, and more information can be found at www.unitedvoice.org.au/industries/childrens-services and www.facebook.com/UnitedVoiceECEC.
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