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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-04-05 Daily Xml
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CLEAN START

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:39): I have referred a number of times to the fantastic campaign that is being run by United Voice, previously known as the Miscellaneous Workers Union, with regard to Clean Start. This campaign is looking at making sure that cleaners have their proper industrial rights.

I was interested to read, after the most recent cleaner leaders' meeting that was held in March in Sydney, that someone who I would not normally associate progressive views with, in the form of radio announcer Alan Jones, was taking up the Clean Start campaign. He was really concerned—after having the opportunity to talk to cleaners at the conference, I believe—that they were being paid less than $21 an hour. The information I have is that Alan Jones, not known for being backwards at coming forward, said that any employers that paid workers less than $21 an hour were 'disgusting' and 'obscene', and 'To every employer out there…to ask someone to work for $16…I think it is immoral.'

Jones went on to say that Spotless, a firm that contracts many cleaners around Australia, was a joke, and, when told that it was refusing to meet with its cleaners, he said, 'That's the kind of people they are.' He said he would continue to support the Clean Start campaign and would name and shame contractors and owners who did not do the right thing. I guess my assessment of Alan Jones has been somewhat altered by his support for this campaign.

Sadly, there are some real concerns in the cleaning industry, and in most recent times campaigns have hit South Australia. However, just before I talk about South Australia I would like to compliment Darren Cheeseman, the federal member for Corangamite. He has written to the Spotless general manager in Melbourne to show his support for cleaning workers trying to negotiate in good faith. I understand that there has been real difficulty in actually getting to the negotiating table, let alone getting into the details of what the new agreements would be like.

It was Darren Cheeseman's view that Spotless had no interest in resolving the issues that cleaners faced every day, such as bullying and harassment, overwork, unsafe working conditions, and poverty-level wages, amongst other things. He has also said that he hopes, particularly in the case of the shopping centre cleaners' campaign, that Spotless, the major contractor in that area, does not trade off conditions such as penalty rates, overtime and rostered days off. I commend Darren Cheeseman MP for that.

I understand that in South Australia we have, perhaps, a happier situation. My advice is that the South Australian government supports the Clean Start campaign principles—having had the opportunity to go to the Labour History seminar that was recently held in Adelaide, I also understand that Prime Minister Julia Gillard—then deputy prime minister—also came out publicly to support the Clean Start campaign to make sure that cleaners get a fair go. I am sure that people in this chamber would be aware that in South Australia Spotless is a major employer, and there are a number of state government workers, particularly in the CBD, who work as contractors or subcontractors for Spotless. There are also a number of facilities, management of government-owned buildings, where I understand that the workers are employed under the Clean Start collective agreement.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate United Voice for continuing this campaign. Having been a cleaner myself, particularly in my student days, I feel very strongly about cleaners having a fair go—and there are a number of members here who are identifying that they have also been cleaners; and this is paid cleaning, not the unpaid cleaning that we all do. We hope that in South Australia they have the same success.

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