The use of temporary contracts can be expanded throughout the industry. This last clause will have a severe impact. Last May, KU Children's Services, a company with 130 centres and more than 1,000 staff, won the right to employ workers on contracts of six to nine months or less, in order to reduce staff during non-peak holiday periods between December and March. These conditions can now be extended to all child care employers, effectively cutting the annual income of those employed on a temporary basis by 25 percent. Already between 13 and 20 percent of child care workers are casuals.
Meal breaks are another particularly contentious issue.
There is great pressure on new and existing employees alike to remain on the job during their meal breaks. According to a LHMU survey carried out last year, more than 60 percent of child care workers do up to five hours of unpaid overtime every week. Work-related shopping, programming, parent meetings and rostering are being performed outside paid hours of work. Fifty-eight percent said they were so overworked they could not provide the right level of care. In an initial intake last year, more than 350 job-seekers with minimal training were placed in child care centres.