United Voice News
MP Andrew McDonald 'very supportive'
LHMU activists met with Member for Macquarie Fields Andrew McDonald last week and won his support for the "KEEP IT CLEAN for our schools' future" campaign.
LHMU activist and Curran Public School cleaner Ferdie Dorner says MP McDonald was "very supportive" of school cleaners' campaign. "[The meeting] went pretty well," he says. "We were making him aware that the [schools cleaning] contract was coming up for renewal and that it needs extra funding so money should not be taken out of it."
"If money is taken out … it will affect us [cleaners] really badly."
Ferdie told MP McDonald the contract needed to be well-funded, particularly to ensure new infrastructure under the "Building an Education Revolution" program is accounted for. For example, additions such as a soft wall to an existing area is not accounted for and "that needs to be maintained", Ferdie says. But cleaners are not given more to time to do the work because it is not an extra building.
"It's really important [the government] acknowledges this so they can make adjustments in time with the new contract," Ferdie says.
MP McDonald said he would take the matter to Education Minister Verity Firth, Ferdie says.
Ferdie says it is important for cleaners to lobby their local MPs because “we need to go straight to the people who are going to be deciding” what happens with the contract.
School cleaners continue to get support postcards signed. If you want to help your school cleaner, contact the Member Service Centre on 1800 805 027 to pick up a few postcards for friends and family to sign.
