United Voice News
MP commends Clean Start to Parliament
MP, and life member of LHMU, Ian West has this week commended cleaners' "exceptional efforts" for achieving the Clean Start trigger in NSW.
West told NSW parliament on October 21 the Clean Start campaign had "given a real voice and real bargaining power" to the "most industrially marginalised and disempowered in our community".
And he commended Deputy PM Julia Gillard for ensuring the Federal Government's cleaning contracts "must abide by the Clean Start benchmark". The ACT, Queensland, SA and Tasmanian governments have also revealed they will support Clean Start contracts in all their government-owned or occupied buildings.
"[It] is most refreshing for me to see a number of Australian governments acting in the best interests of working people by adhering to the best practice rather than the lowest common denominator when awarding cleaning contracts," West said
LHMU NSW Branch Executive Vice President Rebecca Reilly says: "LHMU is urging the NSW government - as owner and major tenants of Sydney buildings - to sign on to Clean Start and pay the new prevailing rates in the industry."
