25 February 2010
Parliamentary cleaners take their plea for a Living Wage to the Speaker

Parliamentary cleaners have taken their plea for a Living Wage directly to the Speaker of the House Lockwood Smith.

In a letter, delivered to Parliament by cleaners this afternoon, the cleaners (who are employed by contractor Spotless Services Limited - SSL) ask the Speaker to support a meeting between cleaners and Parliamentary Services to talk about pay parity with other cleaners in hospitals and schools. They also ask the Speaker to convey a message to the contractor encouraging them to work constructively to resolve their collective bargaining.

The cleaners are only paid $12.55 an hour - five cents above the minimum wage.

The same cleaning contractor already pays all its cleaners in public hospitals and many working in schools $14.62 an hour.

In the letter, signed by 27 cleaners, SFWU delegate Mata Gagamoe writes:

"We are writing to you as the leader of the venerable institution in which we work. We are the largely invisible workforce of cleaners, who ensure your workplace is cleaned and maintained to a high standard. Many of us work through the night to achieve this, while most other people are at home with their families and sleeping!"

"We are struggling to survive on poverty wages. We get paid a fraction above the current Minimum Wage-$12.55 per hour."

..."We know that many other cleaners - in hospitals and schools - receive $14.62 per hour. We think that is a fair rate of pay."

The letter was delivered to the Speaker's office this afternoon [Thursday 25 Feb] and the cleaners are hopeful they will receive a prompt response.

"We really want to get this issue sorted out so we can get a Living Wage for our families", said day-shift cleaner Lagi Fa'amausili.

ENDS

For more information contact Mea'ole Keil, SFWU Organiser on 027 204 6371, or Hannah Coleman, Publicity and Communications Officer on 027 204 6329 or 09 375 2698.

Notes for editors
• The cleaners, who are members of the Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota, have been in negotiations for their Multi Employer Collective Agreement with the cleaning contractors since May last year.
• Negotiations are expected to reconvene on 3 March.

• The Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota is supporting the Campaign for a Living Wage, and the petition for a Citizens Initiated Referendum on the issue.

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