PICTURES: Disgruntled Spotless cleaners rally at Chadstone
14 Dec 2011
by Laura Armitage, Waverly Leader PROTESTERS rallied at Melbourne’s largest shopping centre to demand better working conditions for cleaners.
United Voice led about 80 demonstrators through Chadstone 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 12 months.
“Up till 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 than they were getting.
“I have been a cleaner for 12 years and I am getting paid $16.50 per hour,’’ Mr Babiker said.
“We also need more staff to help us do a good job.’’
Spotless spokesperson Kerrina Lawrence said Spotless had passed on three wages increases to its cleaners in the last 18 months.
“As an employer of more than 5,000 cleaners in Australia, the welfare and safety of our cleaners is paramount,’’ Ms Lawrence said.
She said Spotless had asked United Voice to work with the company to lobby the Government for another pay review in 2012.
The union are threatening more strikes unless Spotless agreed to a meeting to discuss an agreement.
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