Fair Work Commission has authorised supported bargaining process

On Wednesday 27 September the Fair Work Commission (FWC) approved the application for multi-employer bargaining.

This is a positive outcome for our sector and means that the negotiation process can now begin. The decision follows the FWC hearing which took place on 16th and 17th August.

All of the parties involved in the application - which includes the United Workers Union, Australian Education Union, Independent Education Union of Australia and the service providers who are members of the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) - will now be involved in negotiating around the terms of what might best be described as an industry enterprise agreement.

Tha authorisation decision means that the parties involved now have the right to ask the Federal Government to step forward as a third party funder and be part of the negotiations. This is a critical component of the process, as a successful negotiation is contingent on the Federal Government properly funding any negotiated outcome.

ACA continues to call for the Australian Government to provide direct wage subsidies to early childhood educators as part of this negotiation process. 

You can read the FWC's formal decision here.