Child-care still rare in the workplace

Press, 10 November 1986, Page 16

Child-care still rare in the workplace

How will the increasing number of working mothers ensure ongoing care for their children? LEE MATTHEWS concludes her series on child-care.

Women workers will have to take the initiative and push for child care before most employers will consider helping to provide it. Although few Christchurch employers have plans to set up creches or other child care centres, most say that they are prepared to discuss ideas if unions or other bodies will present some. “If someone was to put a proposal in front of us we would consider it,”

says a Lane Walker Rudkin spokesman. There has not been a strong call for help with child care from the workers at Lane Walker Rudkin, so to this spokesman the issue seems to be “a bit of a non-event.” Attitudes are the same, at J. R. Watties, Ltd. There are no child care facilities, no plans for any and staff have never indicated that they want help, according to a management spokesman. "It’s not been an issue,” he says. Dave McGuigan, general manager of Southern Blue, Ltd, is prepared to discuss child care. This company employs about 80 women, and many of them have children.

“In the clothing trade we lose a lot of good, skilled women when they leave to have families,” he says. “It’s a real shame. If we could keep

them in the workforce while they have their families it would help them, and me. I wouldn’t have to retrain staff as often.”

There is definite scope for several factories in one suburb to pool their resources and help

workers set up a child care centre, he maintains. “I’d rather not see a creche attached to a factory ... the women might feel they had to keep popping in on their children and that would cause problems,” he says. “Nearby, sure, but not on site.”

Again, he says none of his workers have approached him about starting such a centre, but he would be prepared to discuss it.

“It would need to be a good, researched proposal,” he insists. “There’s a lot more to look at than just plonking a creche in a factory.” This seems to leave the ball squarely in the employees’ court. It is unlikely any employers will voluntarily research the need for child care centres — many say this

is not their responsibility. So until workers take the initiative, do the necessary research and tell employers what they want, centres will not

materialise. State sector employers espouse positive attitudes towards child care, but

are awaiting the same push from workers, on approval from higher up the management chain.

The State Services Commission has a policy to support workers who want to open creches.

“We see that child care goes hand in hand with our responsibilities as a good employer,” says the South Island’s assistant commissioner, Eddie Martin.

Once the commission has helped set up centres, day-to-day running will be the users’ responsibility. This sounds promising, but the policy has been in place for 10 months and a centre for Government workers has not yet opened in Christchurch. Eddie Martin says the commission hopes to have one next year. He attributes the delay to time needed to work out de-

tails, as care has to be high-quality. The Sunnyside Hospital is another employer that has been trying to open a creche for the children of its 700 staff for several years. It wants a full day care centre for 24 chil-. dren, with provision for four under-two-years-old. ') Plans have recently moved forward. The hospital’s assistant secretary, lan Sheerin, says a housq is available, but it needs renovating and the Canterbury Hospital Board’s approval for its use. “We’re waiting for that approval,” he said.

Once running, this creche would be selffunding from fees. Templeton Hospital staff are also considering starting a similar creche. Staff at the Christchurch Polytechnic and the University of Canterbury are somewhat luckier. Of any Christchurch workers, they come nearest to having creche facilities.

Both these • institutions have child care centres, and staff can use places, not used by students. The centres are, how» ever, primarily for students. While staff could not provide figures, they say they have to refuse staff members places quite often because students’ needs came first.

Many employers believe child-care is “a bit of a non-event” for their women workers.