Hundreds of early childhood educators across Australia marked equal pay day by walking off the job early. Their coordinated action was the latest in their campaign for recognition of their work and a pay rise.

In the Melbourne suburb of Clayton, Audimeaia and her workmates shut down the Monash Community Family Cooperative childcare centre where they work. “We deserve equal pay as all the other teachers do”, she told Red Flag.

Early childhood educators are paid around $40,000 a year, more than a third less than a classroom teacher. “People think that all we do is change nappies”, she said, “but in reality we are shaping what they are going to be. If it’s not done well, you could really mess up a child’s future.

 “It’s great working there, but I think some people struggle, they really want to stay because they love the job, they love the children, but the pay makes it hard”, another worker, Caitlin, said. “So basically we’ve rallied together to try get the note out there that we are being underpaid and that we need change. We need something to be done about it.

“This job is a lot of workers’ lives; they put so much time in, they research at home so they have more to give the children.”

This was the first stop-work for most of the workers. “We did a campaign a couple years ago”, Audimeaia said, “but we didn’t stop work like we did today. We had a rally in the city. But stopping, as far as I know, this is the very first time”.

Asked how it felt walking out, Caitlin laughs, “I’m shy! I kind of hid myself, but everyone feels pretty liberated. It’s better than doing nothing”.