Care workers keep society running, yet their labour is chronically undervalued. From early childhood education and aged care to nursing, disability support and home care, these vital services are increasingly privatised, understaffed and run for profit.

During the pandemic, workers were praised as heroes while their wages stagnated or fell. Australia’s childcare sector shows the crisis clearly, with soaring fees, corporate rorts and exhausted staff. But care workers have also led inspiring fights that have transformed both conditions and services, from nurses winning safer staffing ratios to childcare workers globally demanding public funding and respect.

Join this session to explore the politics and resistance shaping the global care economy.