Illawarra childhood educators joined forces with their national counterparts on Tuesday to lead the biggest early education walk off in Australian history.
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They then rallied in Wollongong to demand the government sit up and take notice and fund equal pay for educators.
About 6500 educators walked off the job on March 27 as they stepped up their fight for equal pay.
This figure was more than double the number of educators and centres which took part in the previous walk-off on September 7.
The anger and frustration about government inaction on equal pay was clear to see at the “Big Steps Big Walk Off” Wollongong march and rally at McCabe Park.
Kathy Patrick told her fellow early childhood educators in the crowd the time for playing nice was over.
We just want a wage you can live on. A wage that doesn’t require someone who already holds a certificate III, a diploma or a Bachelor of Teaching and who already works a full-time job to also work a second or third job in order to support yourself.
- Kathy Patrick
“We need to get louder. This government does not want to listen to us so we need to encourage people who they will listen to – the people who vote for them to start speaking up for us,” she said.
“We need to commit to continuing the fight to make early education wages a key election issue.”
The Kidz Childcare educator thanked her fellow colleagues who had the courage to walk off and fight for their right as educators and hard working professionals.
“We just want a wage you can live on. A wage that doesn’t require someone who already holds a certificate III, a diploma or a Bachelor of Teaching and who already works a full-time job to also work a second or third job in order to support yourself,” she said.
Ms Patrick said educators felt a tremendous sense of obligation to the “parents who entrust you with the most precious thing in their lives”.
Read more: Wollongong child care educators to strike
“Yet it is our dedication and sense of obligation that has kept us receiving substandard wages and conditions for years. And, it has to stop.
“We have to get out of our comfort zone and make this government recognise the importance of what we do, not only in caring for and educating the next generation, but in keeping the Australian economy working.
“We will not stop and we will not be ignored anymore.”
NSW Greens MP’s threw their support behind early childhood educators and United Voice, the union that leads them.
They wrote a letter supporting their unprecedented national action for fair pay.
Greens MLC and early education spokesperson Justin Field added early childhood educators in NSW and across the country were paid significantly less than primary and secondary teachers, and as much as $30,000 less than the average annual wage.
“For too long, our skilled early childhood educators have not received the respect or financial recognition they deserve for their valuable and essential work. They receive 30 per cent less than primary school teachers, which isn’t fair,” Mr Field said.
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
