.... And why not... they've been the most neglected workplace in all the Aus economy, paid the least and with insecure working conditions while performing one of the most important jobs in the nation, caring for the youngest children in the most important formative years of a person's life.
So why have these people been left on the minimum wage? they are professionals with a degree and as such as highly qualified.
Should engineers be paid peanuts? what about lawyers? both do important work but not as important or as structurally important as raising infants and beginning the important job of early education.....
Now this brings to the fore the case in favour of unionism.
Unions were formed to enable collective bargaining in order to increase worker/member wages above the deep poverty level that was common in the late 19thC. Unions were necessary to better the national economy as well as workers rights to a fair pay for the efforts, diligence and productivity..... and if you, reader, have any doubt that poverty was a key issue when unions were first formed, just read a bit of history, or Henry Lawson stories.
Unions did gain too much power in the 70's and some retained much control over their employment conditions which resulted in Howard's War on Unions.
Now however the unions are essentially powerless, since Howard removed their one means of leveraging negotiations with employers. the right to strike. Employers however, as shown by Alan Joyce's grounding of all Qantas aircraft in 2019, retained the right to lock out employees and to damage the economy and leave thousands of people stranded.
the Child Care workers are professionals. Yet they have gone on strike. they want real recognition of the value they provide in caring for babies, infants and toddlers giving them a better foundation for learning throughout their lives.
these workers are the very core of our future economy. Like nurses, they should be paid accordingly.
