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Despite numerous approaches from the union, Spotless has refused to sit down and talk about wages and other concerns. On October 19, United Voice lodged an application to take industrial action on behalf of the cleaners.

Private sector cleaners constitute part of the “working poor” in nearly all parts of the world. Australian cleaners are no different and, in fact, things are getting worse not better for the working poor. As a percentage of the workforce, their ranks are growing not shrinking. As the following article indicates, 86% of cleaners in Australia feel economic insecurity. 92% worry that they will not have enough money saved to retire at age 65, even after a lifetime of work.



Maree O’Halloran, Welfare Rights Centre Director, said, “They are often women…they’ve worked for 30 years or more and now their bodies just can’t take it any more. You look at these people…trying to do everything that’s expected of them in society, bring up their families, slogging it out, day-in and day-out and then to find that after all of that they can find themselves on the unemployment scrapheap in their late 50s, trying to live on $243 per week.”



Louise Tarrant, United Voice National Secretary, emphasized that cleaners struggle to pay for the basics. “Things that used to be standard expectations…are suddenly becoming unattainable luxuries.” Tarrant’s comments were made during “Anti-Poverty Week” in Australia.



The United Voice web page has individual worker stories and it provides an opportunity to express your solidarity for the cleaners’ struggle by sending an electronic message to Spotless. http://unitedvoice.org.au/

UNI affiliated Unions are invited to send messages of support to Australian shopping centre cleaners, address to cleanstart@unitedvoice.org.au