Stockland Wendouree cleaners consider strike
14 Dec 2011
BY TIM O'CONNOR, The Courier CLEANERS at Stockland Wendouree may strike today in protest at current wages and working conditions.
The strikes were able to begin at 12am, with industry union United Voice claiming workers of contracting giant Spotless are faced with “unbearable workloads and poverty pay.”
Stockland centre manager Stevie Wright said management had been advised of a possible one-hour stoppage by cleaning employees today.
“We have been assured by Spotless that they have plans in place to ensure cleaning duties during this period continue to be carried out at the centre in accordance with our high standards,” she said.
United Voice is warning strikes may occur at nine other Victorian shopping centres – Chadstone, Westfield Doncaster, Westfield Fountain Gate, Werribee Plaza, Broadmeadows Town Centre, Epping Plaza, Victoria Gardens, Stockland The Pines and Hoppers Crossing Shopping Centre – and would follow a work stoppage at Corio Village last Friday.
The union’s state secretary, Jess Walsh, said cleaners had stood by for years as Spotless “ratchets up” workloads to “back-breaking levels”.
“Spotless’s refusal to even talk with cleaners who prop up its healthy bottom line means that shoppers may be wading through some stomach-churning scenes at their favourite malls this Christmas,” she said.
United Voice claims a report found more than half of Spotless shopping centre cleaners surveyed did not get enough time to clean properly, forcing them to cut corners to keep up with workloads.
Ms Walsh said cleaners earned as little as $16.57 an hour.
Spotless responded by slamming the union’s “archaic actions”, saying its fear tactics were an “affront to the public”.
“While the United Voice union has threatened families with the prospect of dirty shopping centres for one year, Spotless has proudly passed on three wage increases to its cleaners in the last 18 months,” it said.
“Above the base award rate, many Spotless cleaners receive penalty rates, overtime and extra allowances for certain types of work, averaging an hourly rate of $21.”
Spotless said the current award would be reviewed early next year, with an increase expected mid-2012.
Find us elsewhere: