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Free childcare for all is ‘the right thing to do for families and the economy,’ trade unionists says
GMB members overwhelmingly back a motion at the union's 2023 congress demanding ‘free quality childcare for all parents to ensure work is affordable’
A preschool age child playing with plastic building blocks

CHILDCARE that is fully funded and free for the parents of all children from the age of one is the “right thing to do for families, the economy and the prosperity of our nation,” GMB union members said today.

Delegates gathered in Brighton for the general union’s 2023 congress overwhelmingly backed a motion which demanded “free quality childcare for all parents to ensure work is affordable.”

Moving the proposition, member Luke Simcock said that the move would also be a “step towards the meritocracy that unions were created to fight for.”

He warned that record-high childcare costs in Britain — thought to be among the highest in the world — “take up a substantial part of monthly income which affects working families, but it’s not just a matter of economics.

“Access to quality childcare is essential for the early development and education of children. Studies show that children who [get it] are more likely to succeed in school and have better long-term outcomes in life.”

Tory ministers must create a “fully funded, free, quality childcare system for all children from the age of one to ensure no family is left behind,” Mr Simcock said. “This is matter of fairness — don’t all children deserve a level playing field?

“Some may argue that the cost of free childcare is too high, but in truth, the benefits of this policy far outweigh the costs.”

London delegate Christine Huston criticised government plans to offer all children under five 30 hours of free childcare a week from September 2025 as a reform which “looks good for the media and pushes up demand but not supply.”

Unions and campaigners have repeatedly warned that the austerity-hit sector is struggling to recruit enough workers to meet current demand, let alone a significant expansion.

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