Multi-employer bargaining (MEB) is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally achieve fair pay for educators. This journey started long ago, and we likely wouldn’t be where we are if it wasn’t for the foresight and ambition of a woman called Rosemary Waite.

Various members of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) community have responded to the Productivity Commission releasing its highly anticipated draft report in which the commission outlines key points from its inquiry into the Australian ECEC sector commissioned by Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers in February of this year.

A consortium of early childhood education and care (ECEC) representatives were in Canberra last week to speak with key Ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs) about a government-funded wage rise for the ECEC sector.

Six months have passed since the early childhood education and care sector lodged an application with the Fair Work Commission to begin wage increase negotiations with a group of employer representatives. This piece outlines some of the key achievements so far and the anticipated hurdles in the months ahead.

This latest development follows the Fair Work Commission’s recent decision to grant the application the green light and allow the Unions to convene with employer groups, including the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA), Community Early Learning Australia (CELA), Community Child Care Association (CCCA) and G8 Education, to start the negotiations.