‘Enough is enough’: Job workers are leaving ‘in droves’

A system “held together by Band-Aids for years” is forcing workers to quit “in droves”. Now they’re taking action.

More than a thousand childcare centres across Australia will shut down on Wednesday as educators rally for an urgent overhaul of the early education system.

Educators will gather in every major city and many regional centres to call on the federal government to reform a system plagued by staff shortages, high workloads, and low pay. Over a third of early childhood educators have left the workforce in the last year, according to the United Workers Union.

UWU early education director Helen Gibbons said educators were exhausted and leaving the industry “in droves” after working throughout the pandemic.

United Workers Union executive director Helen Gibbons said educators were burned out.

“Early educators have basically said enough is enough. They’ve reached the end of their tether,” she said.

“They’re not just calling for a change to their wages and conditions – although that is really important – but they’re also saying that the whole system of early education in this country needs to be reformed.”

Ms Gibbons said workforce shortages were so severe that children were being turned away from childcare centres daily.

“The sector has been held together with Band-Aids for years now, particularly during the pandemic,” she said.

“It’s not working for early educators, but it’s also not working for children and families.”

Educators voted to hold the shutdown on September 7 because the date marks national Early Childhood Educators’ Day.

Childcare workers will walk off the job on Wednesday to push for industry reform.

Thousands will gather and demand the federal government outline a plan and a timeline to demonstrate the value of early childhood educators, recognise early childhood education as equal to schooling, and prioritise children before profit.

“This is really about the sector coming together and saying this is urgent,” Ms Gibbons said.

“We don’t expect a magic wand to be waved and everything to be fixed overnight, but we do expect a plan of action.”

The shutdown will occur two days after Minister for Early Childhood Education Anne Aly announced the release of its National Children’s Education and Care Workforce Strategy Implementation and Evaluation Plan.

The 10-year plan recognises the critical importance of the industry and outlines 21 practical steps the government will take to support and augment the early childhood workforce in the long term.

Ms Gibbons said early childhood educators were pleased to see Dr Aly had listened attentively to their concerns and held productive discussions, but there was still more work to be done.

“There have been lots of promising conversations, but what we really need is action and a really clear action plan to deliver,” she said.

If the shutdown fails to galvanise action, the UWU early education director warned educators would continue to take a strong stand.

“If the government doesn’t listen and take heed of their reform, then actions will only escalate,” Ms Gibbons said.

Early childhood educators are leaving the jobs in droves, the union says. Picture: iStock

“One way or another, this is not going to be something that we’ve just going to give up on because it’s too important. You don’t give up on a little child’s education.”

The UWU is urging families to attend one of the 16 rallies nationwide on Wednesday to support educators in calling for an overhaul of the system.

The “colourful and powerful” rallies will be held at 3pm in every area except Canberra, which will kick off at 3.30pm.