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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-06-14 Daily Xml
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International Cleaners Day

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN (17:49): I move:

That this council—

1. Notes that 15 June 2023 is International Cleaners Day;

2. Acknowledges that International Cleaners Day calls for the worldwide recognition and respect of the essential work done by cleaners to support the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities; and

3. Congratulates all cleaners and cleaning staff for their hard work and dedication.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Stop attacking the Hon. Mr Martin.

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN: Protection, sir. Several key groups of essential workers kept South Australia going during the pandemic. Workers across our state who put their own health at risk for the good of our community have been commended, quite rightly, for their selflessness in supporting all of us over the past several years.

One of those groups of workers typically tends to enjoy less visibility, less frequent recognition and often less respect, despite the fact that their contribution to our community underlies and supports just about every aspect of our lives. Tomorrow, 15 June, marks International Cleaners Day. It is a day we should all celebrate—every one of us. Those of us who are trade unionists often like to make a point of shining a light on workers across our economy whose contributions can be underappreciated, but I do not think you need to be a trade unionist to recognise just how far up the proverbial creek our whole community would be without the benefit of the essential work that cleaners do in the environments in which we go about each part of our daily lives.

Never more than during the past few years have cleaners made a greater impact on our community. So much has been asked of them during this pandemic, often at high personal risk and with insufficient recognition. During the pandemic cleaning work has been more demanding and more dangerous, but cleaners have consistently kept showing up to get the job done. We would have been nowhere without their efforts these past few years.

Although often unseen, the work of cleaners is of the very highest importance and they deserve the gratitude and respect of all who benefit from their efforts, and that is everyone—everyone in our community—because not only is the work of cleaners important in its own right, it plays a critical role in supporting the work of so many other more visible and often more frequently-recognised workers in industries. Doctors and nurses could not keep us healthy without the fundamentally necessary work that cleaners do in our hospitals and in every healthcare setting, where hygiene and sterility must be maintained at a very high standard.

Educators from early childhood onwards need clean and hygienic classrooms in which to teach and the students in which to learn. Supermarkets, food and beverage service and other environments like this rely tremendously on the work of cleaners to help keep their customers happy and healthy. Public transport, aged and residential care environments, office buildings, retail settings, libraries and all sorts of other community gathering spaces—it is hard to name an environment in our community where the work of cleaners does not play a role in supporting our health, safety and satisfaction in accessing and using those environments.

The contribution of cleaners to our collective wellbeing and to the smooth functioning of our institutions is extraordinary. I am pleased that cleaners in our state have a great advocate in the South Australian branch of the United Workers Union, a strong union representing workers across many sectors of industry where workers deserve greater recognition and respect than they often get. I commend UWU for their work in promoting greater respect for cleaners in South Australia and across the nation.

On International Cleaners Day, recognising and thanking those who work as cleaners across our state, is the very least that we can do. We should in fact be thanking our cleaners regularly and showing our appreciation and respect for their significant impact on our lives. I choose to show my respect today by acknowledging this parliament's favourite cleaner, Sally, for the work she does every day to keep this place clean and safe. Sally, your work is important, it is appreciated and it is essential to the functioning of this workplace that we share.

On behalf of the Malinauskas government, and I am sure everyone in this chamber, I thank you, and I extend my thanks and my respect to each and every cleaner across our state for the crucial work that you do today, on International Cleaners Day and every day.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. L.A. Henderson.

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