Union flags legal action amid claims Victorian public school cleaners missing holiday pay
The Allan government will offer a 12-month tender for school cleaners with a pay increase amid the major industrial dispute over holiday pay.
Victoria
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The state government will offer a 12-month tender for school cleaners amid the major industrial dispute over holiday pay.
It comes after the United Workers’ Union on Monday flagged legal action over the protracted dispute sparked amid a contract changeover for the state’s school cleaners.
The state government announced the procurement process will open today to enter into new cleaning services agreements for when current agreements expire on December 25 next year.
The new arrangements include an increase to pay cleaners 5 per cent above the award rate and extra funding for schools (metro and regional) to purchase additional cleaning services.
It will also require contractors to employ 25 per cent of staff for 52 weeks per year.
Other major changes include improved channels for schools and cleaners to raise issues or concerns with the Department, including introducing a complaints portal.
The School Cleaning Consultative Committee will remain in place under the new model but will now also include the “cleaners voice” forum to raise and discuss important issues for cleaners.
The new cleaning service agreements and all key benefits will be in place from 2025.
The Herald Sun previously reported the Allan government faced another major industrial dispute over holiday pay for school cleaners.
Outgoing contractor ISS will end operations on Thursday, with new contractors Tradeflex and Serco not resuming business until January 15.
The union says this will leave hundreds of workers without holiday pay.
Other workers are facing pay cuts and increased hours, the union says.
The threat of action from school cleaners comes as the Allan government faces industrial action by police, firefighters, emergency-call taker staff, V/Line staff and the state’s 56,000 public servants.
United Workers’ Union property services director Lyndal Ryan on Monday accused the government of being complicit in contraventions of Occupational Health and Safety laws and the Fair Work Act.
“The Deputy Premier has to get out of his airconditioned office and understand what these workers are facing,” she said.
“Because of this bungled changeover, workers are facing weeks without pay over Christmas and drastic cuts to hours and pay even if they land a job.”
Ms Ryan said school cleaners earnt “barely above the minimum wage” and the Victorian Government was “throwing them on to the scrap heap during a cost-of-living crisis in the hope that friends and family can lend a hand over the Christmas break”.
“And even when they return, their future is bleak — the hard-hearted treatment of these workers is exactly why we have been calling for an end to this race-to-the-bottom privatisation of Victorian school cleaning,” she said.
“Cleaners should have safe, secure jobs so they can best serve their school communities.”
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