The Guardian 20 June, 2007
Federal Goverment plays cheap politics
with ABC childcare workers
Childcare workers employed by Australia’s biggest childcare provider won significant pay increases in a landmark LHMU Childcare Union agreement. The terms of the agreement have been misrepresented by the Federal Government.
The Federal Government is playing cheap politics with a group of female workers who under WorkChoices had their standard of living threatened. But because of a strong union campaign for a collective agreement these workers have significantly improved their pay scales.
Childcare workers at more than 900 centres voted on the agreement with an extraordinary 90 per cent of voters giving the thumbs up to the agreement negotiated by their union.
ABC Learning staff escaped AWAs
The benefits of the collective agreement were obvious to ABC Learning staff. Hundreds of staff, previously locked into AWAs took up the option of terminating their AWA in favour of moving to the protections of a collective agreement.
LHMU Childcare Union Secretary Jeff Lawrence pointed out: "The WorkChoices law offends many women workers because it denies pay equity — a principle our union has won for childcare workers and preserved in the collective agreement with ABC Learning."
Real pay increases won
He said the real pay increases won by childcare professionals covered by the ABC Learning union collective agreement range from 11.6 percent to 19.55 percent or $67.56 per week (plus the next Australian Fair Pay Commission rise) to $136.31 per week (plus the next AFPC rise).
"This agreement was ground-breaking as the first ever Multiple Business Agreement and delivered quality standards for the thousands of union members employed by ABC Learning", Jeff Lawrence said.
"The LHMU Childcare Union is proud of the strength of its membership in this major Australian corporation providing important services to the Australian community."
The landmark agreement provides:
Wage consistency for all ABC childcare employees across Australia in line with important pay equity and work value principles in an industry largely dominated by women;
Non-contact time to allow group leaders time for planning quality programs in all ABC centres;
Paid tuition for further study including certificates, diplomas and degrees;
Provision of free uniforms;
External cleaners in all centres;
Payment for allowances at approved providers, for example Senior First Aid and Epi-Pen training.