$16 an hour to deal with a mess
02 Dec 2011
By Biana Claire Sunshine Coast Daily CLEANERS at Sunshine Plaza walked off the job yesterday and will repeat the industrial action over Christmas if their working conditions and wages don't improve.
The union representing the cleaners, United Voice, said Spotless had cut its cleaning contracts, meaning cleaners were working harder and living on poverty wages with fewer staff on the floor.
Spotless employs cleaners at shopping centres around the country, including a number of Westfield and Lend Lease centres.
United Voice state secretary Gary Bullock said members voted to strike after Spotless had spent a year refusing to come to the negotiation table.
"Cleaners want a liveable wage and they want to be treated with respect," he said.
"They get paid $16.57 an hour to clean toilets, clear tables in the food court, scrub floors, get rid of spills and pick up rubbish.
"They have 15 minutes to patrol a size around three houses for mess."
Mr Bullock said Lend Lease needed to face up to their responsibilities over the treatment of people paid to clean and maintain their properties.
About 70 cleaners from across south-east Queensland supported their Coast colleagues in their one-hour stop work protest.
Spotless yesterday reaffirmed that the 16 shopping centres it maintained would remain clean and tidy at all times despite union claims that shoppers could face unhygienic conditions with threatened industrial action.
"All shifts will be fully staffed before, during and after the festive period," a spokesman said.
"The union's unrealistic Clean Start Retail claim will only result in punishing cleaners with lost wages in the lead-up to Christmas."
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