Hobsons Bay council on Tuesday night voted 4-2 to outscource Altona Meadows and Altona North childcare centres.
About 200 parents, children and Australian Services Union (ASU) members protested outside the council chamber, saying the move would erode the quality of care their children receive, increase childcare fees and cost current staff their jobs.
Councillors Carl Marsich and Jason Price voted against outsourcing.
Councillors Colleen Gates, Peter Hemphill, Paul Morgan and Sandra Wilson voted to outsource.
Cr Angela Altair was absent from the meeting.
Outsourcing the centres would save the council $479,000 annually.
Cr Hemphill told the meeting the decision was about equity.
“Why should someone who has had their child in care in another facility pay for their own child and then pay for someone else’s child in Altona Meadows? We’re talking about a $4000 subsidy per child.”
Cr Wilson said reducing the subsidy by increasing fees would put childcare out of reach for many families.
“I am making this decision on behalf of all the ratepayers and the families and the children of Hobsons Bay,” she said.
“That it is an issue of money on one level cannot be understated. The rates bucket is not a bottomless pit.”
About 2700 people have signed a petition to keep the centres in-house.
Lead petitioner Rachel Hart said she was disgusted at the council’s decision.
“It puts money before children, before families, before the community. It’s economic rationalism and it’s shameful.”
Parents have vowed to run candidates at the next council election against councillors who voted to outsource.
The union fears staff, mostly women, will have to reapply for their jobs and, if successful, workers would retain their pay levels only until the enterprise agreement runs out in September.
There are 66 temporary, casual, full-time and part-time staff at the two centres.
Staff face pay cuts of up to 25 per cent if the centres are outsourced.
Childcare workers had started exiting the council chamber in tears as it became clear which way councillors would vote.
As they cried and comforted each other in the council foyer, ASU women’s officer Jane Karslake delivered a rousing call to arms.
“Don’t go in despair. There’s always time for tears later.
“This is just the beginning.”
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