LHMU News
ISS school cleaners vote YES for pay rise
Some 93.7% of ISS school cleaners have voted 'yes' to a new agreement that will give them guaranteed pay rises of 3.5% a year over three years.
And since the Australian Fair Pay Commission (AFPC) has decided not to provide low paid workers with a wage increase this time around, the 3.5% pay rise ISS school cleaners will get on 1 February next year becomes even more significant.
School cleaner Gloria Muston was happy about the agreement being voted up. "Since the Fair Pay Commission didn't give us a pay rise, at least this agreement is going to give us something. That sounds fair to me."
LHMU NSW Branch Assistant Secretary Mel Gatfield says the new agreement provides school cleaners with some certainty about their wages over the next three years. "And the great thing for school cleaners is that their allowances will increase immediately after the agreement comes into effect," Mel says. "This means catching up on increases in their allowance since Work Choices made the school cleaners' award a NAPSA.”
"Members can now get on with the job of getting a better contract in place for school cleaners all across NSW," she says. "Some issues that cleaners have been saying should be tackled in the next contract during our regional organising committee (ROC) meetings include their increased workloads, and hours of work. Cleaners need to get involved now to ensure their voices are heard."
Broadlex and Joss have both made a new agreement with the LHMU for school cleaners along the same lines as the ISS one. Ballots for the Broadlex cleaners will take place at the end of July, and in August for Joss. Cleaners who want further information on the ballots, contact the Member Service Centre on 1800 805 027.
Other school cleaning companies to come on board, include Menzies and Spotless.
School cleaners need to start getting active now to ensure the best result when the cleaning contract comes up for negotiation with the state government. ROCs have been set up across NSW. To find out what they are about and when the next one is, call the Member Service Centre on 1800 805 027.
