WHEN: 1pm Thursday 4 August, 2022
WHERE: BAC Head office, Skygate
WHAT: 60 cleaners plus supporters will stop work and rally outside Brisbane Airport Corporation’s head office.
WHO: Airport cleaners with UWU Coordinator Damien Davie.
Cleaners that work for Brisbane Airport subcontractor Securecorp will stop work today as tensions over pay and safety escalate.
Workers have been trying to negotiate a fair workplace agreement since January this year, including a wage increase to take workers above the minimum wage, an airport allowance to account for the extra costs workers incur working at the airport, an end to the significant understaffing.
Crucially cleaners want to be safe and respected. They want an end to cleaning toilets while people are using them. Women cleaners in particular want an end to having to clean busy male toilets where many have been abused and disrespected.
Workers will stop work for two hours today and rally outside Brisbane Airport Corporation’s head office along with supporters from the community.
Cleaners commenced uniform bans on 8 July 2022. To date there have been stoppages on 22 July and 28 July 2022. Today’s rally is another escalation, and workers say if Securecorp do not come to the table they are prepared to take longer and more frequent stoppages.
United Workers Union members across all sectors have thrown their support behind the cleaners at Brisbane Airport, fundraising more than $8000 UWU in four days to support striking workers.
Quotes attributable to Damien Davie, United Workers Union spokesperson for Property Services:
“Cleaners at Brisbane airport have been abused and assaulted while cleaning the toilets of the opposite gender.
“But both the contractor Securecorp and building owner Brisbane Airport Corporation refuse to make changes to protect the safety of the workers.
“This disregard for workers’ safety is unacceptable at a time when the world is in crisis and these workers have been fronting up to work every day in a high-risk environment.
“Cleaners have been bargaining with cleaning contractor SecureCorp since January, but negotiations have reached a stalemate forcing cleaners to take industrial action.
“Securecorp is another example of a greedy contractor cutting corners and risking workers’ safety. UWU members won’t give up until they win fair pay, job security, respect and dignity.”
ENDS
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