United Voice News
Next Steps for a Clean Start!
More than 80 cleaner leaders from across Australia travelled to Canberra to share their experiences and plan the next steps in the Clean Start campaign.
Caterina Speranza, a cleaner in shopping centres from Victoria found the
conference “informative - and it was exciting to meet all the other cleaners.”
Piyush Ghimire, a CBD office cleaner from New South Wales, said “Being a union
member I got a chance to meet all the people from Australia and overseas - we
got united - when we go back to our sites we’ll work together with other new
people.”
For Lucy Lohmeyer, a cleaner in shopping centres from South Australia, “the
conference has been an honor and a privilege - it’s taught me a lot. People
have told me lots of stories that are similar to my personal experiences. It’s
also taught me what our actual rights are."
On Thursday, the cleaners travelled to parliament house to have breakfast with
Federal politicians including the Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to win
their support for a Clean Start in the shopping centre cleaning sector.
Piyush Ghimire, a CBD office cleaner from New South Wales, said “It was an
amazing opportunity to speak to the Deputy Prime Minister and the politicians -
something you couldn’t do in other countries.”
All of the politicians who met with cleaners either signed a pledge committing
their support to the Clean Start campaign in shopping centres and to continuing
the campaign to win a Clean Start in CBD office cleaning.
“The trip to Parliament house was exhilarating and I’m still buzzing. I’m ready
to go back and make everyone else buzz too.” Said Caterina Speranza.
