Spotless Group Limited : Media Release - Spotless response to union claims

Spotless Statement

25 January 2012

United Voice union fails to constructively engage once again

The United Voice union has today lashed out at a range of Australian companies, including Spotless, a responsible employer providing tens of thousands of jobs. The disappointing and immature statements by United Voice discredit the union and disrespect tens of thousands of hard-working cleaners across Australia.
The fact remains that industrial action has experienced low levels of participation to date. Cleaners want their employers to engage with the important upcoming Modern Award review process, which remains the focus of Spotless.
This stunt is the latest in a series by the United Voice union, forming part of a wider fear campaign peddled over the last 18 months. This campaign has been aimed at property owners and contractors, such as Spotless, to bargain for a separate wage agreement for shopping centre cleaners. United Voice has ignored all other cleaners over this time, thereby seeking to create pay disparity for cleaners.
Spotless disagrees with this approach. Spotless believes that the Modern Award, introduced by the current Government, should be the focus of any wage campaign to ensure all cleaners benefit equally. More needs to be done by industry, unions and government to improve the Modern Award.
Most cleaners in Australia, not only those employed by Spotless, are covered by the Fair Work Act's Cleaning Services Award 2010 (the Modern Award). This award has been reviewed by the United Voice union, employer groups and the Government's Fair Work tribunal. Wage rates have been increased three times over the past eighteen months. The most recent increase occurred on 1 July 2011. A further wage review is scheduled this year.
Further, the Modern Award specifies protections for employees around rostering, breaks, penalty rates, overtime, leave and other important matters.
Under the Fair Work Act framework the Modern Award currently sits at a base rate of $16.57 per hour, which is currently seven per cent above the minimum wage of $15.51 per hour. Loadings and other entitlements are then paid above the modern award rate. Above the base Award rate, cleaners receive penalty rates, overtime and extra allowances for certain types of work. Spotless cleaners currently receive, on average, over $21 per hour.

Cleaning modern award rates (per hour)

Base Rate	$16.57
Part Time Day Rate	$19.05
Permanent Night Shift	$21.54
Saturday Shifts	$24.85
Sunday Shifts	$33.14
Public Holiday	$41.42

Media

Kerrina Lawrence: 03 9269 7582 / 0434 198 427
About Spotless www.spotless.com

Spotless is a leading international services company comprised of two distinct operations, Facility Services and Retailer Services. Established in 1946, Spotless is listed on the Australian and New Zealand Stock Exchanges. Spotless employs more than 40,000 people and skilled sub-contractors to deliver over 125 specialist services in thousands of locations. The Group's Facility Services operations supply catering, cleaning, maintenance, facility management and laundry services across a broad range of industry sectors. Retailer Services, operating under the brand Braiform, provides customised garment hanger and packaging solutions to retailers and garment manufacturers in 32 countries.