SIPTU is recommending that its members in the childcare sector vote in favour of new pay proposals that would see minimum hourly rates increase by at least €1.
The deal was agreed at the Early Years Joint Labour Committee (JLC).
The JLC is a statutory body which brings together trade union and employer representatives to agree legally binding minimum rates of pay and conditions for employees in the Early Years sector.
A previous pay offer, which would have resulted in increases of around €0.70 per hour, were rejected by SIPTU members in a ballot in August.
“Our red line was clear: minimum rates of pay had to increase by at least €1 per hour,” said SIPTU Sector Organiser, Diane Jackson.
“The deal provides increases to the minimum pay rates for Early Years Educators, Lead Educators, Deputy Managers and Managers, with average minimum rates rising by approximately 6.5%.”
“This is on top of the average 10% increase which was implemented last October,” Ms Jackson said.
SIPTU said it will conduct a nationwide ballot of members over the coming weeks.
