United Voice News
Menzies refuses to sign Clean Start Agreement and tries to silence protesters
Menzies may have the contracts to clean courts in Adelaide and Sydney, but that doesn’t prevent their application in the court to stop legal protest from stinking.
On Friday 21 November, Menzies took the LHMU to the Australian
Industrial Relations Commission in an effort to prevent cleaners from
campaigning for fair jobs and a better industry.
The Clean Start Fair Deal for Cleaners
campaign has been running for over two years and has involved cleaners
fighting for improved wages and conditions and asking for a fair deal.
In
June 2007, Menzies signed on as a Responsible Contractor, committing
them to delivering quality services to clients and good jobs to their
cleaners. The cleaners are still waiting.
In a meeting with
the LHMU on 14 November 2008, Menzies refused to sign the Clean Start
Collective Agreement. Since October 17, twenty-two cleaning
contractors have signed the Collective Agreement, delivering
significant wage increases, four hour minimum starts, fair workloads
and improved job security to their cleaners, and helping to lift
standards in the cleaning industry. Menzies has failed to deliver the
same to its cleaners. As a result cleaners have been joining together
around the country to tell Menzies to clean up their act!
The
Menzies Group of Companies made more than $8.2 million in profit last
year – profit that is backed up by the hard work of their cleaners. In
recent weeks, tenants and office workers from companies and buildings
that have cleaning contracts with Menzies have seen actions from
cleaners such as leafleting and street theatre. This has included Myer
stores nationally, as well as law courts and art galleries in South
Australia.
Menzies recently went to the extent of attempting
to claim that these legitimate protests are illegal industrial actions,
applying to the Industrial Relations Commission to have them stopped.
The Commission quickly dismissed Menzies complaints as there was no
evidence that any industrial action had taken place or was even
threatened by the LHMU.
Cleaners and their community
supporters have a right to join together to lift standards in the
industry, and will not stop raising their voices until they win a fair
deal for all cleaners.
