A Government adviser has echoed
UNISON’s concerns about proposals to increase the number of children nursery staff can look after in England. Professor Cathy Nutbrown, says the plans to increase staff/child ratios make ‘no sense at all’ and ‘watering down ratios regardless of the level of qualifications held by staff is likely to lead to worse, not 'great', childcare and will undermine intentions to provide quality early learning experiences’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21876719
UNISON activist Angela Rayner writes on the Shifting Grounds blog about the impact of austerity on gender equality and calls on Labour to follow Scandinavian countries by adopting radical policies on affordable childcare and flexible working: 'For women this can be a greater challenge as we continue to struggle for equality in the boardroom, in education and in pay. We work to live not live for work. Without vital changes to the current system we will miss out on a more productive society and lost income from the ability for all women to be active equal members of the workforce':
http://shiftinggrounds.org/2012/11/change-work-to-change-life-chances/
It may have taken well over a hundred years to get here but the TUC is now to be led by a woman (Frances O'Grady). It is an historic moment for the movement but also a timely one. Women are disproportionately impacted by the savage cuts in public spending and economic decline. The progress, albeit slow, in recent decades on equal pay, is under threat from regional pay bargaining, the public sector pay freeze and regressive Tory policies on employment rights.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/the_tuc/tuc-21198-f0.cfm
