CLEAN START

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:33): On the invitation of Assistant Secretary Chris Field of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers' Union (LHMU), last week I attended a gathering in the electorate of Mitchell at the Marion shopping centre. This followed a meeting that had been held, I understand, in Adelaide's central business district for the Clean Start shopping centre campaign.

In 2006, the LHMU launched the Clean Start campaign to highlight the largely hidden crisis in the cleaning industry and how that reflected in the experience of the workers. The campaign thus far has made great strides to improve quality and reliability of the CBD office cleaning services and to stabilise the cleaning workforce while raising the living standards and winning cleaners the respect they deserve.

This is a quote from Louise Tarrant, the LHMU secretary. She also says that cleaners have been doing it tough despite the resilience of the Australian shopping centres in the global economic crisis. Shopping centre owners and investors spend billions of dollars on creating what is called a 'complete shopping experience'. Obviously, to complete that experience the place also needs to be clean.

I understand that the Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) announced its support of the fair contracting principles following the launch of the Clean Start campaign, and I would just like to congratulate them on doing that. The Clean Start collective agreement, which is already being delivered in the central business offices in Australia, states that cleaners should have:

1. Fair treatment. Respect for cleaners' jobs by encouraging a work environment that promotes and values the work performed by cleaners.

2. Fair hours. Maximising the hours available to cleaners so as to improve their income levels and provide opportunities for extended hours of employment.

3. Fair workload and safety. Commitment to providing a safe working environment for cleaners by introducing responsible and transparent contracting practices that will help to ensure reasonable workloads.

4. Fair wages. Employers agree to give certainty to cleaners by providing an annual increase in wages, achieving national wages parity and strengthening penalties and allowances over the life of the agreement.

5. Fair leave. Employers agree to provide fair leave provisions for cleaners and to work with the LHMU to provide a portable long service scheme for cleaners where it is currently not available.

6. Fair job security. Employers are committed to maximising the job security of cleaners during the change of contract.

7. Fair rights. Establish effective dispute resolution procedures to resolve workplace issues.

I would really like to compliment the employers who have taken on that agreement, and I am hoping that shopping centres also observe that particular 'Clean Start: it's time for fair office cleaning' approach.

I was a bit concerned but also not surprised, having been a cleaner myself, particularly when I was a student, that the latest union research states that the minimum wage for cleaners is around $16.03 per hour. Considering the prevalence of cash in hand payments for wages in many cleaning cases, these workers are quite often below the poverty line. It is estimated that cleaners take home more like $10.13 per hour, with no leave entitlements, superannuation, health and safety, or anything else.

One of the other areas is of concern is the chemicals that are used by cleaners in many cases, which do not have proper assessments of what harm or health and safety issues are associated with them.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Miscellaneous Workers Union for this campaign and all the workers who have made sure that the campaign, along with employers, is going to make a big difference in this very important area in our life.