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Issue No. 303 | 21 April 2006 |
Brand Spanking
Interview: Head On Unions: Do You Have a Moment? Industrial: Vital Signs Economics: Taxing Times Environment: It Ain’t Necessarily So History: Melbourne’s Hours Immigration: Opening the Floodgates Review: Pollie Fiction Poetry: The Cabal
Control Freak Turns Hand to AWAs ‘Clean Start’ Sweeps Into Action Fleas Leave Andrews Scratching The $130 Question: What is He On? Apprentices Assume Missionary Position Rights At Work Worth Playing For
Politics Politics The Soapbox Postcard The Locker Room Obituary
Lying Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them II What Tax Cuts? Belly Says It’s Time A Word Of Warning Stop Mexican Revolution Well That Clears That Up Then
Labor Council of NSW |
News ‘Clean Start’ Sweeps Into Action
They are turning the blowtorch on the owners of the office blocks, pressuring them to keep tenants happy by ending the race to the bottom by cutting wages and increasing workloads. The 'Clean Start' campaign was kicked off around Australian and New Zealand this week by the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneouos Workers Union and the Service and Food Workers Union. It comes at a critical time for cleaners, as basic wages are under threat by WorkChoices and workloads are intensifying, with the Australian benchmark now at 1,000 square metres per hour - compared with the North American standard of 300-400 square metres per hour. Under the Clean Start plan, instead of targeting direct employers - who are squeezed by competitors - unions are seeking agreement on minimum standards for the entire industry. This means getting the top end of town commercial property owners like GPT, Mirvac and Macquarie to only award contracts to companies that respect: - basic wages - health and safety standards - and the right to organise. The unions argue that these sorts of standards are ultimately in the interests of the property companies - with the quality of office cleaning one of the key issues for tenants. The campaign has the backing of religious leaders and community identities including Canberra Raiders captain Clinton Schifcofske. Schifcofske told 180 rallying cleaners in Canberra sticking together applied as much to the workplace as the football field. In Sydney, former cleaner Rakchanok Sothanaphasian told her story of going two months unpaid when she started work. The Thai-born union organiser said when she came to Australia, like many immigrant workers she was unaware of her rights. "When you are from a non-English speaking background its hard," Sothanaphasian said. :
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