United Voice News
Canberra school cleaners demonstrate for fair deal from Andrew Barr, Minister for Education
Life-sized figures of ACT Education Minister Andrew Barr will make their debut on Tuesday 20 May at a cleaning contractors' site inspection of Black Mountain School.
The figures will dramatically illustrate the Minister's failure to introduce a new contact cleaning system in ACT schools.
Lyndal Ryan, Secretary of the ACT Branch of the LHMU, the cleaners' union, says:
"Our cut-out Andrew Barr figures show the Minister as he was two years ago when he stood by Canberra's 2000 cleaners supporting the Clean Start Fair Deal for Cleaners Campaign.
"Two weeks ago cleaners were bitterly disappointed when the Minister didn't attend the rally marking the Clean Start Campaign's second anniversary to announce the introduction of the long-overdue new contracting system in public schools.
"Tomorrow's demonstration is a reaction to the Minister's failure to introduce the new system to deliver better cleaning standards and to:
- end the practice of standing cleaners down without pay during vacation periods;
- allow for wage increases in line with community standards;
- provide them with two half-days training per year; and
- deliver fair work rates.
"The Government and this Minister seemed so supportive. Cleaners have been saying 'Teachers have settled their wages, new schools are being built and have been refurbished - now it's our turn.'
"But it seems when you're a cleaner your turn never comes. The best Mr Barr could do was announce another review but with no timeline.
"We sought a meeting with the Minister last week but we haven't received a response."
Tomorrow's inspection is part of the bidding process to determine which contractor will be contracted to clean Black Mountain School.
