Irish childcare providers are set to protest in Dublin on Wednesday, 5 February.
The decision was announced today by the Early Years Alliance, a public action group formed in December of last year. The group is made up of various childcare worker representative bodies, including the Association of Childhood Professionals, the Federation of Early Childhood Providers, SIPTU, the National Community Childcare Forum, Seas Suas and the National Childhood Network.
The group argues that current government policy is subsidising the real cost of childcare provision through "low wages, unsustainable services and high fees for parents."
The group is calling for childcare providers to be paid the "living wage" of €12.30.
SIPTU Head of Strategic Organising, Darragh O’Connor said: "Early years educators across the country are committed to delivering high quality, child focused education and care. However, the current Government funding model for the sector is making it impossible to achieve this.
"Despite qualifications and hard work, early years educators earn just €11.45 on average, well below the living wage. The majority are struggling to make ends meet and will be unable to stay in their profession if things don’t change.
"That’s why we are calling for the introduction of the living wage of €12.30 per hour in 2020 as the minimum first step towards professional pay scales."
National Childhood Network CEO, Denise Mc Cormilla, said: "Securing improved terms and conditions to support sustainable and high quality Early Years services is essential for this country. This requires increased government funds and a new funding model for service providers."
In a statement issued today, the group said the march would be joined by thousands of educators, providers and parents.
