Loud and proud: Knox Council’s burnt-out childcare workers demand a rethink on pay rise funding

While Knox councillors and staff definitely heard the cacophony of party blowers and blaring renditions of children’s songs before their latest meeting, it did little to drive them to change their minds on applying for funding for a temporary pay rise for its childcare workers.

🎉 A fun atmosphere: A group of fewer than 20 Australian Services Union (ASU) representatives and Knox Council childcare centre workers came together on Monday night, calling for Knox and other councils to submit an application for the federal government’s Worker Retention Payment before the deadline of September 30.

A number of ASU representatives, council childcare workers, parents and members were decked out in colourful costumes, including a giant eggplant and a minion.

😊 A mayoral welcome: Addressing the local families who attended the rally and the ensuing meeting, Knox Council mayor Lisa Cooper said “no final decision has been made at this stage” on the grant.

“We value our early childhood workforce and recognise this is an important issue for families,” she told the chamber.

“Knox is carefully considering a range of factors related to the grant.”

The Eastern Melburnian understands one councillor and one council staff member met with the group prior to the council meeting.

👶 A pay bump: The federal government’s two-year Worker Retention Payment includes a wage increase of 15 percent above the award rates and a minimum additional 20 percent of funding for other eligible costs providers and councils incur.

💰 A final push for a fairer pay: ASU Victoria/Tasmania branch secretary, Tash Wark, said the ASU was grateful to the community members and parents who came out to support the cause.

“We understand that council has well and truly heard the crowd out the front, which is excellent,” she told the Eastern Melburnian.

“We really hope that they'll change their minds.”

📝 Keeping the status quo: The Eastern Melburnian understands 27 councils have not yet applied for the grant, with Monash Council also refusing to accept the payment alongside Knox, while the Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges councils have not indicated whether or not they would accept it.

A spokesperson for Knox Council told the Eastern Melburnian the council recognised the need for an increase to the industry award rate and had “paid our educators well above the award… for many years.” 

“All our educators receive annual wage increases under the Knox Enterprise Agreement,” the spokesperson said.

💲 Extra money needed: Wark said it was “not accurate” for councils to use their enterprise agreements as a reason to not apply for the grant.

“Our advice is that it does not stop them from applying for the Worker Retention Payment and passing that on to their workforce,” she told the Eastern Melburnian.

“Every single council in the state, all 79 of them, have enterprise agreements, but some of them have been able to do this, which just goes to show that this is not impossible in the environment that we're in.”