Commenting on Labour proposals to create 3,000 new school-based nurseries, UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards said:
“Childcare has become a nightmare for many parents, especially the less well-off.
“That’s because the larger private equity-backed nursery firms follow the money and pay staff low wages to get higher returns. That leaves less-affluent parts of the country poorly served.
“New nurseries attached to schools could make the world of difference to mums and dads struggling to find affordable childcare.
“As workers in school-run nurseries are on nationally agreed local authority rates, wages tend to be higher than in privately run establishments.
“This should help the new nurseries attract the best staff and keep hold of them too. More parents could then secure places and return to work, boosting the economy. That’s why Labour’s plans make a lot of sense.”
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.
Media contact:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
The article Labour plans to boost school nurseries ‘make a lot of sense’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.