Dirty on the bosses
20 Dec 2011
by Laura Armitage, Stonnington Leader PROTESTERS last week rallied at Chadstone to demand better working conditions for cleaners.
United Voice led about 80 demonstrators through Melbourne’s biggest shopping centre in a bid to get global cleaning employer Spotless to discuss pay and workload conditions for cleaners.
United Voice state secretary Jess Walsh said cleaners had been asking Spotless for a meeting to discuss “poverty” wages and “back-breaking” workloads for a year.
“Up until now cleaners have been an invisible army and have silently got on with their crucial jobs while trying to cope with impossible workloads and trying to survive on award wages,” Ms Walsh said.
“They want Spotless to talk to them about getting off the award and to negotiate a new pay rate and a liveable wage.”
Chadstone Shopping Centre cleaner Jamal Babiker said cleaners deserved more money.
“I have been a cleaner for 12 years and I am getting paid $16.50 per hour,” Mr Babiker said.
Spokeswoman Kerrina Lawrence said Spotless had passed on three wage increases to cleaners in 18 months.
“As an employer of more than 5000 cleaners in Australia, the welfare and safety of our cleaners is paramount,” Ms Lawrence said.
http://stonnington-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/dirty-on-the-bosses/
Find us elsewhere: