Cleaners protect my working hours

Date: 08 September 2004

I need to know from the State Government that I will still have at least the same hours of work under the new contract, as I have got now, a 25 year veteran of NSW school cleaning Kath Haddon, will tell a rally of school cleaners this afternoon.

" And they have to say the same thing to my friend, Sylvia, to Jan from Coffs Harbour and to Fran from Griffith - they have to tell each of us that we will still, each of us, have our current hours of work," Kath Haddon said.

" If they won't say that then they are telling me I could face a cut in pay - something I cannot do. Something Sylvia, Jan and Fran won't do either.

" At the moment they're saying there won't be an across the board reduction in hours - but that is not a guarantee that our own jobs and hours are safe."

Union members will start to march from Hyde Park today shortly after midday, and rally outside the Premier's office to voice their concerns about job security.

The last time that school cleaners - who earn a minimum of $13.50 an hour - walked off the job was 11 years ago.

The NSW State Government cleaning workforce is made up largely of women - many over 45 and a lot with limited English language speaking skills.

We won't be bamboozled

" Mr Carr should understand that our people know what job security means. What we have been offered to date is not job security," Annie Owens, LHMU NSW Secretary, said.

" And the Premier must understand that the community knows what job security is about - in the last few weeks he has received more than 2000 e-mails protesting his government's stance on the school cleaners.

" Two years ago we started a campaign to convince the Government they should actually be extending the cleaning hours to deliver higher standards of health and hygiene to our students and the teaching staff.

" Two months ago the State Government told us they wanted to adopt a radical new contract which would actually cut these standards.

" Today we are standing here demanding not higher standards - just the existing standards."

The LHMU proudly represents around 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

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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