Assetlink threatens minimum wage cleaners

Cleaners’ union, United Voice, confirmed receiving notification of the Assetlink plan in the lead-up to planned bans at the company’s Westpoint Blacktown site tomorrow (Friday).

Westpoint cleaners had voted to support the national Clean Start campaign by working in union t-shirts and refusing to empty rubbish bins for one hour.

“Cleaners are engaging in low level action to show their displeasure at Assetlink’s refusal to talk about a living wage, workloads and security,” United Voice assistant secretary, Peter Campise said.

“Assetlink is obviously keen to ratchet up the heat and cleaners may well decide to accommodate them.”

Mr Campise said Assetlink’s action would do nothing to resolve its dispute with cleaners earning $16.57 an hour.

“Threatening to deny wages to people who are still doing their work is a complete over-reaction,” Mr Campise said.
“It is typical of the lack of respect cleaners are being treated with. This sort of employer militancy might be fashionable but it is not helpful.”

“All cleaners want these companies to do is sit down and talk about paying a livable wage to the people who keep them in business.”

United Voice’s Clean Start campaign aims to move above award wages and conditions, agreed to for CBD cleaners, to those in retail centres owned by giants like Westfield and Colonial First State.

Cleaners are targeting shopping centres around Australia as part of their campaign. In NSW, over the past week, there has been industrial action at Westfield Parramatta, Westfield Centrepoint and Centro Bankstown.