Another Union Attack on Affordable Childcare

Free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs has today called out those responsible for an unreasonable strike that will cause unnecessarily inconvenience for many families.

IPA Research Fellow Gideon Rozner pointed out that excessive regulation of the childcare sector – driven largely by unions like United Voice – had driven up costs with little gain in quality.

“In 2012, United Voice successfully lobbied the federal government for a burdensome requirement that childcare centres be staffed by ‘qualified early childhood educators’. Now, United Voice is demanding pay rises on the basis that childcare workers are ‘qualified early childhood educators’.

“Union demands for accreditation after accreditation for childcare workers have added additional complexity and red tape to the system, this is the key reason why childcare is now completely unaffordable and out of reach for many families.

“As the IPA has previously pointed out, the cost of childcare has risen by over 300 per cent in the past 20 years – 3.5 times the rate of growth of average wages – largely due to excessive regulations on the sector.

“As a result, Australians pay among the world’s highest childcare fees.

“United Voice’s demands will just put greater cost pressures on families and the taxpayer, adding to the mess created by the unions to begin with,” said Mr Rozner.

To download a PDF of this media release, click here.