Category: childcare

UNISON helps found new coalition for childcare and early education

Today sees the launch of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition, which aims to provide a strong, united voice to ensure that all political parties commit to early education and childcare reform.

The coalition is an independent group that unites parents, children, providers, those working in the sector and the wider business community to use their collective voice and expertise to build public and political support for early education and childcare.

As the UK’s largest trade union, and representing predominantly women workers, UNISON members are on the frontline of the crisis facing Britain’s childcare sector, whether as parents, grandparents or one of the 50,000 members who work in early years and nurseries.

As such, UNISON is proud to be a founding member of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition.

The union believes that everyone’s children should be able to enjoy quality provision delivered by well-paid professionals.

The cost of living is exacerbating problems in the childcare sector, as workers struggle to make ends meet. TUC research shows that nursery costs have risen four times faster than wages, so many public service workers are having to take second or third jobs to pay for childcare.

Others – especially women – are leaving work altogether because they cannot afford nursery fees. The childcare market is broken – it needs fixing, with proper funding that ensures universal access.

UNISON members can join the campaign to help make this a reality.

The coalition is releasing new polling showing that over a third of voters (40%) support investing more taxpayers’ money in early education and childcare. This figure rises to 59% for people who are hoping to become a parent.

The polling also reveals that 44% of British people think those working in childcare and early education are underpaid, and 31% believe they are undervalued. Almost half of all voters (49%) said that well-trained staff were the most important factor when it came to providing good quality early education and childcare, with over a third (36%) saying that decent pay for staff had the biggest impact.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Everyone’s children deserve high-quality care and education delivered by well-paid professionals. But early-years staff have endured more than a decade of wage freezes and below-average pay awards.

“The cost of living crisis has devalued their income even further, causing staff to leave for better paid work. A proper wage is an investment in the workforce, leading to higher quality early-years care and learning.”

UNISON is calling on the government to deliver childcare that:

  • is fully funded from the point of need;
  • is affordable and flexible, so parents can work if they want;
  • has good pay, terms and conditions for staff;
  • provides high quality education for all children, including for disabled children and those with special educational needs.

The article UNISON helps found new coalition for childcare and early education first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON helps found new coalition for childcare and early education

Today sees the launch of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition, which aims to provide a strong, united voice to ensure that all political parties commit to early education and childcare reform.

The coalition is an independent group that unites parents, children, providers, those working in the sector and the wider business community to use their collective voice and expertise to build public and political support for early education and childcare.

As the UK’s largest trade union, and representing predominantly women workers, UNISON members are on the frontline of the crisis facing Britain’s childcare sector, whether as parents, grandparents or one of the 50,000 members who work in early years and nurseries.

As such, UNISON is proud to be a founding member of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition.

The union believes that everyone’s children should be able to enjoy quality provision delivered by well-paid professionals.

The cost of living is exacerbating problems in the childcare sector, as workers struggle to make ends meet. TUC research shows that nursery costs have risen four times faster than wages, so many public service workers are having to take second or third jobs to pay for childcare.

Others – especially women – are leaving work altogether because they cannot afford nursery fees. The childcare market is broken – it needs fixing, with proper funding that ensures universal access.

UNISON members can join the campaign to help make this a reality.

The coalition is releasing new polling showing that over a third of voters (40%) support investing more taxpayers’ money in early education and childcare. This figure rises to 59% for people who are hoping to become a parent.

The polling also reveals that 44% of British people think those working in childcare and early education are underpaid, and 31% believe they are undervalued. Almost half of all voters (49%) said that well-trained staff were the most important factor when it came to providing good quality early education and childcare, with over a third (36%) saying that decent pay for staff had the biggest impact.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Everyone’s children deserve high-quality care and education delivered by well-paid professionals. But early-years staff have endured more than a decade of wage freezes and below-average pay awards.

“The cost of living crisis has devalued their income even further, causing staff to leave for better paid work. A proper wage is an investment in the workforce, leading to higher quality early-years care and learning.”

UNISON is calling on the government to deliver childcare that:

  • is fully funded from the point of need;
  • is affordable and flexible, so parents can work if they want;
  • has good pay, terms and conditions for staff;
  • provides high quality education for all children, including for disabled children and those with special educational needs.

The article UNISON helps found new coalition for childcare and early education first appeared on the UNISON National site.

The increasing pressures on raising a family

UNISON has renewed its commitment to campaign for fully-funded childcare in the wake of a new report showing the extent to which working parents are struggling.

2023 Working Families Index, published last week, found that significantly more parents are reporting it is ‘financially harder to raise a family’.

60% of respondents reported that making ends meet and raising a family has become more difficult ‘over the last three years’. This represents a significant increase from just 45% in 2019.

Childcare costs in the UK, which are some of the highest in the world, are a significant factor. Over half of parents surveyed said availability of childcare impacts their capacity to work, with mothers twice as likely to report availability of childcare having a ‘big impact’ on their ability to work than fathers.

Availability of childcare impacts not just capacity to work but also career progression, particularly for mothers.

UNISON national officer Josie Irwin said: “Childcare costs on top of rising household bills are putting working parents, but particularly women, in a very difficult position. It’s women who end up leaving their jobs because childcare is so expensive.”

Earlier this year, UNISON provided evidence to an inquiry into support for childcare and the early years. The union called for:

  • fully funded childcare from the point of need;
  • affordable and flexible so women can work if they want;
  • good pay, terms and conditions for the staff that deliver it;
  • high quality education for all children, including adequate provision for disabled children and those with special educational needs.

Ms Irwin continued: “What’s needed is fully-funded childcare, which is affordable and flexible, with properly paid staff and universal access.”

A report published in March revealed that the UK is losing a minimum of £27bn per year – equivalent to 1% of GDP – because a lack of suitable childcare is preventing mothers from working the hours they would like.

The government has pledged to improve childcare by extending the 30 hours of free childcare currently available to working parents for children aged between three and five to all children, from nine months old up to five years. These changes – a direct result of the campaigning work UNISON has done alongside groups like Pregnant Then Screwed and the Women’s Budget Group – will begin gradually in April 2024.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The government’s childcare pledges are a helpful start but no panacea. Many nurseries struggle to offer enough free hours as it is and can’t recruit the workers to deliver extra.

“Altering the ratios so fewer minimum wage childcare staff end up looking after ever more youngsters is not the answer. Valuing the workforce with proper rates of pay to match their skills should be the order of the day.”

The article The increasing pressures on raising a family first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Orchard Day Nursery must be saved, says UNISON

The owners of a Merseyside day nursery that closed without warning last weekend – leaving more than 50 staff jobless and the parents of more than 200 youngsters without childcare – must think again, says UNISON today (Wednesday).

Orchard Day Nursery in Huyton shut its doors at such short notice that many workers, children and parents only found out about the permanent closure via a notice fixed to the gates, the union says.

The nursery has since gone into insolvency. Its owners also operate a number of other nurseries across the north of England.

The first some staff and parents knew was when the company sent an email on Saturday, announcing the immediate closure. But many remained unaware until they turned up to work or arrived to drop off their children on Monday morning, says UNISON.

The shutdown chaos came just days after workers at the nursery took industrial action last week over pay.

The walkout took place after the company refused to pay qualified nursery workers more than the real living wage, which is £10.90 an hour.

UNISON said nursery bosses should be paying all employees at least this amount, with more experienced and qualified staff earning more.

The union believed it was close to an agreement on a boost to pay earlier this month. But the employer has had no contact with UNISON since the industrial action took place, despite the union’s plea for talks.

The closure and liquidation of the nursery has caused huge disruption for many parents who were unable to attend work, while staff have been left fearing for their futures, says UNISON.

UNISON head of education Mike Short said: “The employees and the families who use this nursery have been treated abominably.

“These dedicated employees provide a vital service to the community. They love their jobs but could be on more an hour in the local supermarket.

“Staff trusted to look after young children while their parents are at work should be earning significantly more. The government’s plan to improve childcare will never get off the ground if wages don’t improve.

“Uncompetitive rates of pay do nothing to keep nursery workers in the sector, nor encourage much-needed new recruits. Orchard Day was having problems holding onto experienced staff, issues that are being replicated across the country.

“But closing a service completely without prior warning because staff ask for higher pay is callous and unforgiveable. Children, parents and staff deserve far better.”

UNISON Knowsley branch organiser Karen Greer said: “It’s devastating for the local community to find that the nursery has closed at such short notice.

“The employer must reconsider and come to an agreement that can get staff and parents back to work. And most importantly, end the distress for the children who want to be back in a place they adore.

“Knowsley council will be working with the union to support those affected. The nursery owners should do the right thing, talk to staff and parents, and reopen the nursery.”

Notes to editors:
– The dispute began when workers at the nursery contacted UNISON last September because they were worried about low pay at the nursery, workplace stress, and issues around the retention of staff.
– Photos of staff and parents are available on request.
– The real living wage is a rate calculated according to what people need to make ends meet. It provides a benchmark for employers to ensure their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives. It’s currently £10.90 (£11.95 in London).
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Sam Doherty M: 07432 459759 E: s.doherty@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Orchard Day Nursery must be saved, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Blog: A significant step forward for pregnant workers and new parents

The beginning of February marked a significant step forward for pregnant workers and new parents, as a bill to provide new and expecting parents with additional protections in the workplace passed its third reading.

UNISON worked with Dan Jarvis MP on the new law – the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill – to prevent employers from laying off expectant mothers and new parents, by extending redundancy protections to six months.

Raising a family is becoming even more expensive as the cost of living crisis continues. What new parents often need most is job security, but pregnant workers and new parents are too often first in line for redundancy.

Around three quarters of working people currently experience maternity discrimination and 54,000 pregnant women are forced out of their jobs each year.

In theory, the law already gives women on maternity leave priority over other employees at risk of redundancy – a woman on maternity leave is “entitled to be offered” any suitable alternative vacancy, where one is available, as soon as her job is at risk of redundancy.

However, in practice, this is often not happening. Those who have just given birth or have been away from the workplace for months, are unlikely to pursue an employment tribunal claim. So, it’s hardly surprising that maternity discrimination cases form a disproportionately large percentage of UNISON’s legal caseload.

To make matters worse, many maternity protections are under attack through the Retained EU Law Bill, including protections against discrimination for pregnant women and women on maternity leave, and the right to suitable alternative work on no less favourable terms.

Without these core protections, UK workers – especially women – will be thrown back to the 1970s, which means the bill is even more urgent.

This new law will represent a significant win for UNISON members as well as add greater workplace protections to the statute book, and I hope it receives the full support of the House of Lords too.

The article Blog: A significant step forward for pregnant workers and new parents first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Breakfast clubs will give pupils the ingredients for learning

Commenting on measures to be outlined in Bridget Phillipson’s speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“Everyone deserves the very best start in life. Free breakfast clubs will ensure the best start to every single school day.

“Pupils learn so much more when they’re not going hungry.

“The additional childcare offered by the clubs will make life easier for hard-pressed working families.

“A modern childcare system, with proper pay for staff, is at the heart of any decent society.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

The article Breakfast clubs will give pupils the ingredients for learning first appeared on the UNISON National site.