Parents are being urged to keep their kids home today with hundreds of childcare centres and tens of thousands of families expected to be impacted by a “shutdown”.
The United Workers Union (UWU) has asked the federal government to take “concrete steps to address the workforce crisis”.
The union is not calling the action a strike but rather a “shut down” that is expected to impact hundreds of centres and 70,000 families.
UWU director of early education Helen Gibbons said “educators have had enough”.
“After nearly a decade of inaction from the previous government, the early education sector is in crisis,” Gibbons said yesterday.
“There are thousands of staff vacancies across the country and centres are turning away children because they don’t have enough staff.”
She said shortages were “everywhere”.
The UWU wants a plan and timeline from the government to improve conditions.
“Early childhood educators perform a vital role in our society and have the respect of the parents and families they support. It’s time for the federal government to respect educators too,” Gibbons said.
“We must reform the early learning sector to respect educators, and to give future generations the start in life they deserve.
“Early childhood education must be recognised and valued for what it is: a vital part of the education sector.”
Most of the planned public action takes place at 3pm. The union says parents should contact their learning centres for specific information and urged parents to make alternative arrangements.
Strikes have been held by healthcare workers, teachers and transport staff across Australia, particularly in New South Wales, in recent months as all industries demand better pay and working conditions.
