Child care workers forced to pay for police checks

Child care workers — who are among the lowest paid workers in 
Australia — are being forced to organise and pay for their own 
child abuse police checks, before some prospective employers will 
even look at their job applications.

"Some child care operators require updated police and medical 
checks to be paid for by these workers", LHMU Child Care Union 
Assistant National Secretary, Jo-anne Schofield said.

"When you earn between $13 and $15 an hour, the nearly $30 cost 
for these checks are a significant whack out of your pay. Our 
union believes the employers should be paying for these important 
police checks.

"The employers are legally responsible to ensure these police 
checks are made, but too often they are shifting this cost onto 
their low-waged employees", Ms Schofield said.

"In effect they are making the child care worker responsible for 
these checks."

The union says the Federal Government should back the Federal 
Police crackdown on child porn by insisting that employers pay 
for checks; or that a compulsory allowance be paid to all child 
care workers to cover the costs of these checks.

"Unfortunately this government has ignored the plight of child 
care workers — having fought any claim for wage and allowance 
improvements that child care workers have put forward in the 
Australian Industrial Relations Commission.

"Victorian and ACT child care workers have been waiting nearly 
two years for a work value case decision by the AIRC.

"The Federal Government joined with employers to argue against 
any improvements for nearly 25,000 childcare workers in this 
case."

Police check regulations vary from state-to-state. The union 
advises its members to contact their local branch office for the 
best information. Non-union members should consider joining the 
union to get good, independent advice and support.