John Bottomley

"It's time to stop cutting corners with people's lives"

John Bottomley believes cleaning contractors must listen to their workers and end a fundamental injustice.

"The contract cleaning system does not respect human dignity.

"What the contract cleaning system does is perpetrate injustice. It cuts corners. Not only on the economics of cleaning, but it cuts corners of people's lives.

"We're talking about an economic arrangement in the cleaning sector in shopping centres that looks like slavery.  This unjust economic system is causing harm.

"And you cause harm to people who have human worth.  It is a fundamental injustice.

"Now it is time for those who have created and profited from systematic injustice to listen to the stories of the workers.

"And when they listen they need to listen to the yearning for justice that is in the heart of shopping centre cleaners and they need to hear that it is time for them to embrace a change of heart.

"It's time. It's time to stop cutting corners with people's lives.

"It's time to open their hearts to the work of justice."