School cleaners: still no offer

Date: 07 September 2004

The State Government has made no offer to school cleaners guaranteeing their working hours, Annie Owens, LHMU Cleaners Union State Secretary, said.

" At every previous contract change the Government has agreed to write into the tender document a specific requirement that contractors will protect the hours of these low-waged, largely part-time workers," Annie Owens said.

" A Labor Government should back job security - especially for low-wage workers earning as little as $13.50 an hour.

" Now the State Government has taken the radical step of not guaranteeing that each worker will still have enough hours - the key to protecting decent pay packets.

" There is no specific offer that individual cleaners will be secure in keeping their current hours of work. We are still waiting for the Government to respond to this one key issue in the dispute."

You can get updated news about the NSW school cleaners dispute by visiting the union's special campaign website

A cleaners' union protest rally will start tomorrow from the Archibald Fountain, North Hyde Park, shortly after midday and march down Macquarie St to Parliament House.

The Minister met with the small LHMU delegation on the edge of the Carr Cabinet meeting in Wollongong today, while union members outside called for a quick and just resolution to the cleaners' dispute.

Protecting hours of work

" On the key issue: protecting the hours of part-time workers, so that we can protect our pay packet, well we didn't get anywhere," Kath Haddon said.

Kath has worked as a cleaner in the Wollongong area for 25 years, the last 13 at Dapto TAFE,

" People working part-time need to know that they will get adequate hours so they can put together an adequate pay packet," Kath Haddon said.

" The Minister was good. He listened. He was polite. He even admitted he didn't have an answer to some of our issues - like what will happen to sick pay under the new contract. And he made sympathetic comments.

" But it is the guarantee of hours that is the most important issue for me = and we're still waiting for a positive response.

Cleaner refers Minister to his own party's policy

" I told him that he, and many other party officials, had voted for a strong policy defending cleaners' jobs at the last NSW party conference," Sylvia Cullen said.

" I was there at the party conference. I saw him voting to protect school cleaners' $13.50 an hour jobs," Sylvia Cullen said.

" But the Minister's response on party policy was not what I expected."

The LHMU proudly represents 130,000 hard working women and men throughout Australia

For more comment:

Annie Owens, NSW LHMU Cleaners Union State Secretary, 8204 7204 or 0425 214 881

For interviews with:

Kath Haddon ring 0414 927 444 or

Sylvia Cullen 0402309225

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union
Phone:	8204 7206
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au/

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