Daegu mayor vows to review scrapping pay-grade cap for child-care workers

Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho said Wednesday he would "proactively review a full abolition of the pay-grade ceiling" applied to workers at community child centers and co-care centers across the city.

Choo made the announcement at a meeting with staff at the iM Dandi Community Child Center, saying stable working conditions for child-care facility workers translate directly into better care for children.

Daegu currently operates 238 child-care facilities — 207 community child centers and 31 co-care centers — employing a total of 714 workers.

Social workers at these centers are subject to a pay-grade cap that limits salary progression to 10 pay grades, meaning wages stop rising beyond a certain level regardless of how long an employee has served.

The cap has consistently drawn calls for better compensation from workers in the sector.

Abolishing the pay-grade ceiling and upgrading the physical environment of community child centers were both included as campaign pledges by Choo.

"Workers at child-care facilities are the core personnel of local care, responsible for our children after school," Choo said. "To care well for children, the people who look after them must first receive fair treatment and be able to work in a stable environment."