United Voice

Hundreds of Qantas and Jetstar passengers have complained to cleaning contractor Spotless about filthy toilets and dirty food courts at Melbourne Airport as cleaners take strike action for a sixth week in their fight for fair pay.

Cleaners in the Qantas domestic terminal are protesting Spotless’s refusal to pay them the same as cleaners working for ISS in the Virgin and international terminals.

About 450 travellers have signed complaints about the filthy state of Melbourne Airport as the dispute enters its sixth week. Rolling stoppages will continue each day until a resolution is reached.

“Passengers are obviously noticing just how filthy the airport is getting, and that’s why so many of them are complaining about the conditions they have to endure when they fly in and out of Melbourne,” says Ben Redford, Assistant Victorian Secretary of United Voice, the Cleaners Union.

“The strikes are having a real impact on the cleanliness and the hygiene of Melbourne Airport, yet Spotless still refuses to offer its workers a fair pay deal,” Redford says.

“Every day, about 55,000 people pass through Melbourne Airport. Without cleaners doing their essential job, the airport is getting very dirty,” Redford says.

“It’s a real shame that for many visitors to Melbourne, a dirty and unhygienic airport is the last thing they see before they leave our city,” he adds.

“Cleaners don’t want to continue strike action, they just want to get on with their job. But Spotless insists on paying them $1600 less than other cleaners at the airport who do the very same job,” Redford says.

“Spotless’s refusal to do the right thing by some of the lowest-paid workers in the country has left them with no choice but to continue rolling strike action until their employer agrees to pay them fairly,” says Redford.

“Most of the striking cleaners earn around $16.50 an hour, so the $1600 Spotless is denying them makes all the difference when it comes to paying their bills and supporting their families.”

“Spotless made a $43 million profit last financial year. Resolving this dispute would be a drop in the ocean for Spotless.”

“But Spotless seems to be more interested in fighting ideological crusades against its low-paid workforce than in the comfort, health and safety of Qantas and Jetstar passengers.”

Last month, an Australian Electoral Commission ballot of cleaners returned 95 per cent support for industrial action.

Court documents reveal that cleaning contractor Spotless knows passengers could face filthy and unhygienic conditions from the ongoing strike action. In a hearing before Fair Work Australia, Con Baltatzis, state operations manager for Spotless, admitted that strike action by cleaners could have a “dramatic” impact on cleanliness at the airport.

Asked in court about the impact stoppages, Baltatzis said: “It could be dramatic, depending on the traffic... toilets get missed, you've got filthy toilets, you've got people complaining.”

He added that passengers could also see urine on the floor and overflowing bins. “There could be a huge impact on the toilets. It’s not rocket science,” Baltatzis said.

Spotless also testified to using a “shadow workforce” to try and break the strikes, prompting cleaners to call in the airport security watchdog to probe potential security breaches.

Further info: Adam Cathro, United Voice, Media Officer, 0413 239 665