Migrant cleaners no long invisible

Date: 15 June 2001

MIGRANT CLEANERS REFUSE TO KEEP BEING THE INVISIBLE WORKERS

Cleaners refuse to keep being an invisible army of workers in office buildings, schools and industrial estates.

Here in Sydney they are organising to demand their rights and demand fair treatment.

" Too often shonky cleaning contractors rely on ethnic communities, especially new waves of migrants, to play vital roles cleaning our workplaces - but they want to keep these workers invisible, quiet and ignorant of their rights," LHMU Executive Vice-President, Sonia Minutillo, said today.

" These shonks, often fly-by-night backyard operators, take full advantage of recent arrivals and just don't comply with minimum Award standards.

" They're happy to scour ethnic communities for their workforce because they hope that a workforce made up especially of new immigrants, unaware of their Award rights, won't complain and will accept the harsh working conditions."

Today is International Justice for Cleaners day and all over the world unions representing cleaners are putting the spotlight on strategies to empower immigrants in their workplaces.

" In many countries a large number of cleaning workers are immigrants who do not yet enjoy their full rights in their new societies where they live and work," the LHMU's Sonia Minutillo said.

" Often these new residents are worried about exercising their full rights because of the abuse and exploitation they have suffered at the hands of employers in the past.

" For these workers joining the LHMU, and organising their workmates and other members of their communities into our union, becomes the primary way to improve their lives and sometimes escape their poverty.

" They often tell the union it was a liberating powerful experience to know they could join a trade union and stand up for their rights.

" In this city the LHMU Cleaning Union has won in some workplaces the right to English-at-Work classes and run out-reach programs to ethnic communities.

" Our members have the right to expect respect when they clean the offices, schools and industrial estates of our city," LHMU Executive Vice President, Sonia Minutillo, said.

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" Around the world workers have to always look to support each other through a union which will help each of us win new rights in the workplace. If we don't have this unions then employers will be free to exploit us. The union provides a mechanism which provides us with rights and protects us as workers. "

Sergio Munoz and German Alfaro Palomin - cleaners Cranbrook School. Sergio has been in Australia 8 years, originally from Chile. German has been in Australia 4 years, originally from Colombia

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" I left Sri Lanka in 1984 and came to Australia. I was glad I found out about and joined the LHMU 'cause I know that there are other cleaners in this country forced to work for bad pay and bad conditions because they are on AWAs and don't have the protection of an Award."

Gandhi MacIntyre - commercial office cleaner Sydney CBD

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" I have not been long in Australia that's why I need the union because it gives me information about working conditions. If I am in the union I can campaign to get good wages. Unions in Australia are very, very good in helping workers. Unions in Indonesia don't have the power and just can't get the results. "

Novel Suhendra - cleaner at Belmore Industrial Estate

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" I came to Australia thirty years ago from Macedonia, because I thought it would be a land of opportunity to provide a better life for me and my family. I have been working hard for 19 years in Sydney . I know now that if I am to really improve my life here I have to stand up for my rights with other cleaners who are active in the LHMU. Here in Australia we still have union rights and we need to use these democratic rights to get a better life."

Peggy Veleski - cleaner at Padstow TAFE

The LHMU proudly represents more than 150,000 hard working women and men throughout Australia.

For further information:

Sonia Minutillo, LHMU NSW Executive Vice-President

02 8204 7243

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