Cleaning staff enraged by wage dispute

A workplace dispute between cleaning staff and their employers culminated last week in a walk-off for cleaners across the country.

Cleaners in Sydney and across the country picketed on January 25 in protest against wage and work conditions.

The action, organised by the workers’ union United Voice,  included the submission of a letter to Westfield management in Sydney.

A cleaner at Westfield Centrepoint who took part in the action and does not want to be named said that at around midday three cleaning staff and two representatives from United Voice went to give the letter to the General Manager of Westfield.

The letter, obtained by Alternative Media Group, discussed rosters and pay rates, and sought the support of Westfield in the cleaners’ dispute.

The commercial group hires Spotless but the cleaning staff complains there is not adequate notice with roster changes and asked for “at least the minimum notice of seven days to change a roster.”

The workers also claimed that some cleaners are paid late, some receive partial payment and others are owed wages.

One cleaner, who also cares for her aging parents, said she is paid $16.50 an hour on weekdays. “How can you survive with that if you have a family?”

She said she would like to receive between $20 to $22 an hour on weekdays.

A United Voice study said 90 per cent of cleaning staff believe they have too little saved to retire by 65.

United Voice has announced the protest is between cleaning service contractors like Spotless, Glad and Assetlink, and shopping centre owners like Westfield and Colonial First State.

But Westfield and Colonial First State claim the dispute is only between cleaning contractors and their union.

The Manager for Corporate Affairs for Westfield, Julia Clarke said: “The campaign being run by United Voice on behalf of cleaners is based on a dispute between the union and cleaning contractors, not shopping centre managers such as Westfield.”

The President of the Building Service Contractors Association of Australia (BSCAA), Terry Corby – a spokesperson for Glad, Assetlink and for the broader industry – said the protest is essentially about pay.

He said United Voice is asking for a 14 to 15 per cent wage increase from Glad, Spotless and Assetlink and that the industry feels this is “not sustainable in the current economic climate”.

He added that $16.50 is the wage for only 20-30 per cent of cleaners in shopping centres, with the other 70 per cent receiving $18.43 an hour or more. He said this base full-time wage is set by the Fair Work Act.

Spotless released a media statement which said the actions of United Voice were “disappointing and immature” and that any wage campaign should occur via the mechanisms of the Fair Work Act. It also said: “Spotless cleaners currently receive, on average, over $21 per hour.”