Sydney childcare centre workers awarded $60k by Fair Work Commission

A pair of Sydney childcare workers have won more than $60,000 after they were unfairly sacked.

A pair of Sydney childcare workers have won more than $60,000 after they were unfairly sacked.

The women were dismissed four years after their employer claimed they had engaged in inappropriate child caring.

The two women — Asiye Oz and Yildiz Kosaroglu — were awarded $27,762 and $33,390 after appearing at the Fair Work Commission last year disputing their unfair dismissal.

They were sacked in 2020 after working at the Tomurcuk Childcare Centre, in Prestons, for more than 20 years.

The centre’s executive principal Deniz Mr Erdogan started looking into their conduct in 2018 after complaints which included excessive screaming, physical and psychological abuse.

The two women have won their Fair Work Cimmission fight.

But the pair was not reprimanded for their alleged conduct immediatly following the investigation.

However a year later, another investigation was launched which led to their sacking on April 6 2020.

In October, The Fair Work Commission found that there was “no valid reason” for their dismissal.

“An objective and balanced evaluation of all of the relevant circumstances has provided compelling basis to establish that the dismissals of the applicants were harsh, unjust and unreasonable,” court papers said.

“Therefore, the applicants’ claims for unfair dismissal remedy have been established.”

Lawyers for Tomurcuk Childcare Centre argued the women’s dismissal was lawful due to their alleged conduct which included Ms Kosaroglu instructing another staff member to sticky tape a child’s mouth shut when they used offensive language.

The commission also heard she allegedly punished a child by putting them in a high chair for 30 minutes while other children played.

The lawyers also argued Ms Oz’s conduct was inappropriate when she allegedly pulled a child’s ear and said words to the effect of “these are for listening”.

However, the commission found these reasons were not valid for their dismissal as they occurred in 2016.

“It was plainly untenable and indefensible for the employer to dismiss the applicants in 2020, for reason of their alleged conduct in 2016, which in 2018, had been identified, addressed, and not repeated,” it said.

Originally published as Sydney childcare centre workers awarded $60k by Fair Work Commission