Clean Start: Cleaners award Spotless with "Golden Toilet Duck"
On Friday around twenty people held a rally outside the Hyatt hotel where the Golden Service cleaning industry awards. The protestors awarded cleaning contractor Spotless Cleaning with their own "Golden Toilet Duck" award for the lack of respect that the company shows cleaners.
Cleaners Award inauspicious 'Golden Toilet Duck' to Spotless Services
Cleaners protesting outside the cleaning industry's Golden Service Awards recognised Spotless Services as the worst contract cleaning firm in New Zealand by awarding their own 'Golden Toilet Duck' to the company for their lack of respect for cleaners.
"The cleaning work Spotless takes credit for today is done by low waged Pacific Island, Maori and migrant workers, many of whom are living on the poverty line," said SFWU Cleaners Union National Secretary John Ryall.
"Spotless pays only $10.95 per hour to cleaners and refuses to work with the SFWU Cleaners Union and building owners in the property industry to improve the situation for their staff" said Mr Ryall.
The awards were judged on a range of criteria including health and safety; staff appearance, attitude and enthusiasm; and innovation. Yet cleaning was one of the most dangerous industries in New Zealand.
"Spotless is the largest employer of cleaners in New Zealand. Their staff often work in appalling conditions with completely unrealistic work rates and yet they are expected to be the smiling public face of the company," said Mr Ryall
"With the pay I'm on, only $10.95 after eight years' service, you'll excuse me if I'm not enthusiastic," said Spotless cleaner and SFWU Cleaners Union member Sue Lafaele.
Staff treatment was notably absent from the list of judging criteria for the Golden Service Awards, but cleaners were happy to fill the judges in about the way Spotless staff were treated.
"One example is that Spotless have failed to pay us four times this year. Just two weeks ago, cleaners' kids had to go to school hungry because Spotless didn't pay us. Nor did they try to contact us to let us know about the problem."
"Spotless have no respect for cleaners, or our families. That's why we have awarded them the Golden Toilet Duck today" concluded Sue.
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Re: Clean Start: Cleaners award Spotless with "Golden Toilet Duc
See also:
An account of the SEIU shutdown of the Postoak Westheimer intersection in Houston, United States.
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20061104225418702
Re: Clean Start: Cleaners award Spotless with "Golden Toilet Duc
Cleaners say BSCNZ response disappointing
MEDIA RELEASE - For Immediate Release
3 November 2006
Cleaners say BSCNZ response "disappointing"
The union representing the cleaning workforce in New Zealand, The Service and Food Workers Union was disappointed that BSCNZ, the trade association representing the contract cleaning industry, has made a press statement attacking cleaners speaking outside the Golden Service Awards ceremony in Auckland today.
BSCNZ spokesman Brian Young stated:
"For our workers, the Golden Service Awards are their Oscars. This is an event which is keenly competed for each year."
It is interesting that an event BSCNZ refer to as 'the Oscars for cleaners' neither invites cleaners to attend the celebrations, nor refers to the treatment of cleaners in the criteria used for judging
the awards.
"I'm sure some of the cleaners would have enjoyed the chardonnay and chicken fettuccine on offer at the awards," said SFWU Cleaners Union National Secretary John Ryall
"BSCNZ has said that it welcomes the dialogue brought about by cleaners' campaign for respect and a fair deal, yet it seems most contract cleaning firms would rather send out press releases than work constructively with cleaners about improving their industry," said Mr Ryall
Cleaners speaking outside the event were disappointed to hear that BSCNZ was not interested in what cleaners had to say.
"I am sad that my bosses don't think I have a right to be heard," said SFWU Cleaners Union member Sue Lafaele.
"What we have to say as cleaners is important. They won't invite us in to their lunch or their awards, but they can't stop us from telling the world how we're treated."
"BSCNZ should respect cleaners and what we have to say" concluded Ms Lafaele.
Re: Clean Start: Cleaners award Spotless with "Golden Toilet Duc
I know its a hard call for low paid workers to march off the job, but I don't think the bastards who run the contracting firms will ever respect us one little bit untill we do. Although a majority of cleaners are female and brown, all cleaners are looked down on. The only time one of my clents addressed me in 3 years was to tell me off for not emptying his bin on Labour day. In nearly 3 years on that job I've done the job right and never had a day off sick. But that's not how to get respect from yuppies.
It is a hard ask for low paid workers to go on strike, but the answer to that is assistance to the strikers from the rest of the trade union movement. We saw something of that in the recent lockout in the form of financial support.
My conviction is that the employers and the clients will keep on treating us like shit forever untill we let their bins overflow en mass.
Don Franks
Re: Re: Clean Start: Cleaners award Spotless with "Golden Toilet
I read with interest your comments on cleaning. You are 100% right. Respect for an industry that without, will stop the world revolving is lacking every where. The power will come back to the people. Our so called clients would never treat there own directly employed in such a manner, so why us. Simple answer, we let them. We should unite all over the world and prove once and for all how important our role is to the global ecomomy.
Re: Clean Start: Cleaners award Spotless with "Golden Toilet Duc
fair call don. but remember that it took a while for Supersizemypay.com to build up to te first strike. That's if you count those community pickets that paved the way for the campaign proper. shelfrespect similarly started with community pickets.
Re: Clean Start: Cleaners award Spotless with "Golden Toilet Duc
I know Rome wasn't built in a day, but neither Supersize, nor shelfrespect began their campaigns with specific offerings of concessions to the employers, and no clear workers demands, which is what Clean Start does.
The recognition that the employer is the problem and the intention to defeat the employer has to be there before anything else.
Don Franks
Re: Clean Start: Cleaners award Spotless with "Golden Toilet Duc
hi,
i am looking for a job and want to apply for this job because i m having a good experience of this job as well. hope you'll give me a opportunity to show my efforts. Thank you.