Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today is International Cleaners' Day. It is a day on which we acknowledge and remember the hard workers who are quite often forgotten. They are the hidden workforce. Today, on International Cleaners' Day, this government needs to be reminded of these workers, the people who keep this building and other government buildings clean.

This government needs to be reminded of Chris Wagland and Carlos Pavez. This government has repealed the Commonwealth Cleaning Services Guidelines, which means that cleaners like Chris and Carlos face losing more than $172 a week, if the next contractor proceeds to drop their wages from the Clean Start principles down to the award. Chris works hard. She has worked in government for the last 30 years. Carlos works hard. He has worked in government buildings for the last 35 years. They are the hardest workers yet the lowest paid, yet this mean government wants to take away from them the little respect and dignity they won through the Clean Start campaign. On this day we call on the government to remember the cleaners. We call on them to reverse their decision and make sure that they restore the Commonwealth Cleaning Services Guidelines so that these hard-working people are paid a wage that is a liveable wage—paid and respected, like all of us in this building should be. They are the hard working yet the lowest paid. It is time this government remembered them, particularly on International Cleaners' Day.

See this speech in context