Wonderland threatens to sue cleaners

Date: 25 August 2001

The huge Sydney theme park, Wonderland, has threatened to personally sue a group of cleaners who are taking their first ever industrial action on Sunday ( August 26) after six months of talks demanding that they all be treated equally.

Wonderland Sydney has issued a memo to all 21 members of the Cleaning Department saying they are prepared to initiate proceedings against any cleaner who participates in the industrial action tomorrow " to recoup any loss caused by the action."

The LHMU Cleaning Union members will stand outside the main gate on Sunday ( Wallgrove Rd, Eastern Creek, from 9.30am) handing out balloons to tell patrons that Wonderland is not so wonderful to its employees.

Wonderland Sydney has promoted tomorrow as a special day to raise funds for a charity.

Charity begins at home

" Our members believe in the old adage that charity begins at home," Steve Klaassen, LHMU organiser said today.

" The company is trying to promote a clean image with the general public but at the same time it is not prepared to give cleaners a fair go."

" At the moment they are paying their older employees $14.08 an hour and the newer employees $15.61 an hour even though we're all doing the same work."

Wonderland, set upon 219 hectares of parkland in Eastern Creek, is the largest theme park in the southern hemisphere.

Wonderland's majority owner is a Malaysian company who operate another theme park near Kuala Lumpur.

" The people of western Sydney will back our cause," Grace Micalleff, LHMU Wonderland delegate said today.

Cleaners' Union balloons

" We're asking the 7000 people who come through the gates on Sunday to fly our balloons - saying 'I support the Cleaners' - to show the boss they back the union and the workers.

" For six months we've been asking the company to pay all 21 cleaners at the same, higher, rate but for six months they have ignored our pleas.

" At first they tried to say the new cleaners were doing a different job from the older cleaners - but we have had a number of meetings with the boss and time after time we've got the evidence to show that their claims are just not right.

" They tried to employ cleaners at the lower rate but found that no one would accept the job - they were forced to advertise the jobs at a higher rate.

" We are now in the situation that 9 cleaners get paid at the $15.61 an hour higher rate and the 12 cleaners who have been working at Wonderland for a longer period are being paid $14.08 an hour.

" We all believe we should be earning the same money," Grace Micalleff said.

Gift shop discounts

Steve Klaassen said LHMU Cleaners Union members were particularly angry because at the same time that Wonderland is threatening their workers and refusing to set an equal rate of pay, they are sending out letters of praise to cleaners.

" One member being paid at the lower rate has just got one of these letters praising her for her work keeping the place spick-and-span. They are offering her a discount at the Wonderland gift shop as a reward," Steve Klaassen said.

" Our members don't want Gift Shop discounts. They want to be respected, treated properly and paid properly."

E-mail campaign

LHMU members and supporters, who can't make it to the Front Gate of Wonderland on Sunday have being asked to back the Wonderland workers - even through their computers. Members and supporters have been told they can tell Wonderland's Front Desk now that they back the cleaners' cause by sending an E-mail: frontdesk@wonderland.com.au

" Our members and supporters have also been asked to send a copy of the e-mail to me ( stevek@lhmu.org.au) as the the LHMU organiser for Wonderland," Steve Klaassen said.

" Because of the copies of the e-mails I am receiving we know that Wonderland has been flooded with e-mail messages calling on them to behave decently to the Wonderland cleaners."

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

For further info:

Steve Klaassen, LHMU organiser, 0425 214 854; or

Grace Micalleff, LHMU Wonderland delegate, 0428 784 840

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