Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Bill Shorten today reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to supporting child care workers and quality childcare.  

 Visiting workers at Children @ Bay Terrace in Wynnum, Brisbane, Mr Shorten said the Gillard Government is committed to a better deal for child care workers.

 “We are boosting superannuation, increasing pay for low paid women and introducing measures to increase flexible work arrangements to support working families balance work and life responsibilities.”

 “The Government’s reforms are in stark contrast to the Coalition’s plans to strip wages and entitlements from working Australians and to increase taxes for 3.6 million Australian workers, including 2.1 million women.”

 “New figures revealed this week show that around 37,000 child care workers earning less than $37,000, will be hit by Tony Abbott’s plan to cut the Government’s Low Income Superannuation Contribution.

 “While we know Tony Abbott’s superannuation plans for low income earners, we still don’t know what rights and protections he will be ripping away from Australian workers. These are workers who disproportionately rely on penalty rates, overtime and other key entitlements to make ends meet and we know Tony Abbott has them in his sights.”

 “Today marks a full month since Tony Abbott promised he’d release the full details of his workplace relations policy “in weeks rather than months” on Andrew Bolt’s Sunday program.”

 These workers at Children @ Bay Terrace and workers right across Australian deserve to know where they stand with Tony Abbott on important workplace relations matters.”

 Children @ Bay Terrace is a community based, not for profit early childhood centre, which has been operating in the area since 1977.