The newly founded Women’s Rights Party is pleased to hear of the campaign launch for a Fair Pay Agreement for early childhood educators (ECE teachers) and other staff.

Women’s Rights Party national secretary Jill Ovens says currently only registered ECE teachers are being paid in line with other teachers due to a subsidy paid by the
Government to the centres.
“There are a lot of others who work in these centres who are being paid very low wages,”
Ms Ovens says.

The Women’s Rights Party is calling for access to quality, affordable (or free) childcare, with qualified and fairly paid staff, available to all who need it.
This was one of the demands of the Working Women’s Charter championed by Sonya Davies 50 years ago.

Ms Ovens says the Women’s Rights Party supports a complete review of the current for- profit ECE sector to ensure it meets the needs of women and their children.

“For women who work 24/7 variable shifts, the private ECE centres are too inflexible. You have to book the days you need for your children and they are only open between certain hours,” Ms Ovens says.

The free fees are not available for children under three, she says. “We support extension of paid parental leave to 12 months which would mean Mums could stay home with their babies for longer. But that still leaves a gap for those with toddlers.”

Ms Ovens says she used to work with hospital midwives who said they work one day a week to help pay the mortgage and put food on the table and one day a week to pay for their childcare. “Most midwives work 12-hour shifts to provide continuity of care to women in labour so they have to rely on in-home care because of problems with using ECE centres.”

For further information:
Jill Ovens
National Secretary
Women’s Rights Party
027 446 4966