Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.

CLEANERS’ RALLY TODAY!

WHEN: 1pm sharp, Thursday 24 August 2006

WHERE: Community forum at 148 Lonsdale Street. At 1.45pm, a march to the Commonwealth Bank tower at 385 Bourke Street (Elisabeth Street corner).
 

Time For a Fair Deal, Community and Cleaners to Tell Consolidated.

Leaders of community and faith-based groups will join cleaners today in a march to 385 Bourke Street to ask contractor Consolidated Property Services to take a lead and help cleaners overcome short shifts and poverty wages.

Cleaners at 385 Bourke Street are on shifts of just 2 hours and 45 minutes, meaning pre-tax wages of just $246 a week. Many cleaners work second and third jobs to support their families because they are unable to survive on these wages.

As they march cleaners and community supporters will carry large clock faces, printed with the words: “TIME FOR A FAIR DEAL”

Consolidated is being asked to take a leadership role and sign a responsible contractor policy. This will lay the basis for living wages and better working conditions for their cleaners.

Consolidated is one of the biggest cleaning contractors in the state. Its CEO John Grant is the president of cleaning contractor industry association, the BSCAA.  

“Community representatives realise that cleaners cannot live on these short shifts. They cannot support their families. They should not have to work multiple jobs to survive,” said LHMU Branch Secretary Brian Daley.
 
“Short shifts and poverty wages are an industry-wide problem; it needs an industry-wide solution. Consolidated is an industry leader, so it needs to be part of this.”

Cleaners and community representatives will march from a forum at Nicholas Hall at 148 Lonsdale Street where they will discuss the growing problem of low paid work and the Clean Start – Fair Deal For Cleaners union-community campaign to help cleaners rise out of poverty. They will then march to the office tower at 385 Bourke Street (Elisabeth St corner), owned by the Commonwealth Bank.

 “This community forum and march today will show that the community will not tolerate poverty wages for this marginalised, vulnerable workforce. They are joining cleaners in saying to Consolidated: Make a Clean Start,” said Daley.

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre campaign coordinator Pamela Curr said today: “This vulnerable workforce — many of whom are new arrivals — work hard to keep our cities clean. They should not have to live on poverty wages. We expect contractors and building owners to help cleaners achieve a fair deal.”


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