Calls for nursery staff pay boost over fears workers will be lost to the public sector
Private sectors nurseries have called for action as they say a pay gap gulf is widening with the pubic sector
Glasgow’s equal pay settlement for early years staff could see a fees spike across the private sector, nursery owners have warned.
A new minimum pay rate for nursery practitioners in council settings equates to nearly 50 per cent more than in the PVI sector (Private, voluntary and independent nurseries).
A campaign group of PVI providers said they would have to increase fees by as much as £25 per child per day to stop an exodus to the public sector.
Together, a Scotland-wide collective, is calling for the Scottish government, Cosla, councils and providers to urgently assess the national impact of Glasgow’s pay settlement on the wider childcare workforce.
Ben McLeish is owner and managing director of Almond Park Nursery in Musselburgh, East Lothian, and a spokesman for Together.
Mr McLeish said: “The private and voluntary sector delivers most childcare used by working families with children under three.
“Without it, some parents will reduce hours or leave work.
“Our early assessment suggests providers could eventually need fee rises of up to £25 per child per day to compete on pay.”
Under Glasgow City Council’s new pay and grading structure, Early Years Practitioners are placed at Level F, starting at £20.13 an hour and rising to £24.67.
On a 35-hour week, this equates to £36,737 to £45,023 a year.
That compares with a £13.45 Real Living Wage benchmark for staff delivering the same funded childcare in private and voluntary settings – a gap of £6.68 an hour, or almost 50 per cent difference.
The gap is before pensions and other employer costs are added.
Together has warned of growing inequalities between staff at public sector nurseries and those in private and voluntary nurseries.
“Glasgow City Council has put a number on what an Early Years Practitioner is worth – £20.13 an hour,” Mr McLeish added.
“That is a value the public sector has now confirmed.
“The question is what happens to everyone doing the same job in a private or voluntary nursery down the road, funded through a system built around £13.45 an hour.
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“If we don’t answer that nationally, providers will lose staff, rooms will close on ratios, and families will lose childcare.”
The PVI sector says it is “crucial” to delivering childcare for parents in Scotland as there are insufficient places available in council-run public sector nurseries.
The majority of childcare in Scotland for children under the age of three is provided in PVI settings.
Nursery owners said private and voluntary nurseries cannot reduce staffing ratios or charge top-up fees on funded hours.
Together - previously known as 2020 Together - said a widening pay gap will push staff toward council-run settings, leaving other nurseries unable to compete for the same qualified workforce.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Councils are responsible for meeting their legal obligations to their employees, including on equal pay.”
She described improving pay and conditions for staff in private and third sector services, and delivering funded early learning and childcare, as “key commitments” of John Swinney’s administration.
“This includes our investment to support the payment of at least the real Living Wage for workers involved,” she added.
COSLA, the local government umbrella body, was contacted for comment.
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