Response to NZNO – Auditing Mechanisms Agreed

Spotless Services Media Release

18 July 2007

Spotless Responds to NZNO – Auditing Mechanisms for Additional Wage Funds Agreed

Responding to a statement by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation about wage funding transparency, Spotless Services has pointed out that it has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the DHBs that guarantees Spotless will pass every cent of funding onto its staff. As part of that MOU, Spotless has also agreed to auditing mechanisms to provide certainty that money is passed on and not kept by the company.

“We fully understand the importance of transparency around the additional wage funding agreed for hospital service sector employees. This money is meant for staff and we are absolutely committed to passing it on to our staff. That is why we readily agreed to the Memorandum of Understanding and auditing mechanisms,” said Mark Russell, Spotless Services General Manager, Healthcare Services

“There has been a lot of rhetoric about corporate bullying and multinational companies from the SFWU to distract both its members and the public from the facts about Spotless’wage position:”

As a starting position for bargaining, Spotless guarantees:

- that it will pass every cent of additional DHB funding onto its staff (and has agreed to auditing mechanisms to provide certainty)

- that every Spotless employee will receive, as a bottomline, comparable wages to DHB staff

- that every current Spotless employee will receive wages at least as high as DHB staff – with the opportunity for some to earn more.

Russell makes a further comment; “At the moment, union members are on strike over pay which is already guaranteed,” he said.

In addition to its remarks about transparency, the NZNO suggested that Spotless is “insisting on conditions that would give them a competitive advantage.”

Russell responded that “Spotless certainly wants to discuss with the union a simple, targeted link between pay and skills that we believe is important for building staff capability and leadership qualities, which we see as good news for staff, Spotless and the productivity of the health sector. This is the only competitive advantage we are seeking and we absolutely stand by it,” said Russell.

ENDS

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