|
Issue No. 261 | 29 April 2005 |
Lest We Forget
Interview: Australia@Work Unions: State of the Union Industrial: Fashion Accessories Legal: Leg Before Picket Politics: Business Welfare Brats Health: Cannabis Controversy Economics: Debt, Deficit, Downturn History: Politics In The Pubs Review: Three Bob's Worth Poetry: Do The Slowly Chokie
Dick Tracy Booted In Blacktown Picnic On for Working Families Skinny Pay Starves Weight Watchers Aged Care Workers Off Their Feet Unions Urge Fair Go For Timorese
The Soapbox The Locker Room Culture Parliament
Labor Council of NSW |
News Cleaners Clean Up
The major overhaul of cleaning contractors comes as the Victorian LHMU announced a $15 million agreement with the state government. "This will bring to a dead halt the cancerous spread of dodgy contractors in our school system," says LHMU Victoria Branch Secretary Brian Daley. "School cleaning in the State's 1600 government schools has been under-resourced for a long time." "The Bracks government has now shown its commitment to lifting cleaning standards in schools with this $15 million budget injection. "Dodgy contractors will no longer be able to operate in government schools." The key changes include a rigorous screening process to make sure only the highest-standard contractors can clean schools as well as substantial injection of new funds - to keep schools clean and make sure cleaners are paid the legal minimum rates. "These changes will protect more than 3000 state school cleaners from unscrupulous operators, and protect school communities from contractors that take taxpayer money, but then cut corners on keeping schools clean." Under the new screening system, contractors will need to 'pre-qualify' with the State Government before bidding on school contracts. Only companies that demonstrate compliance with workplace laws and cleaning standards will pass through the screening. In order to continue to clean schools, contractors must agree to ongoing auditing of their practices by the State Government. The LHMU has worked with the Department of Education & Training, parents, principals and school councils to formulate these solutions to the school-cleaning crisis.
|
Search All Issues | Latest Issue | Previous Issues | Print Latest Issue |
© 1999-2002 Workers Online |
|