Listen to the cleaners Mr Bridges

Simon Bridges should meet with the cleaners who today told Parliament about their fears for their work, their families and the health of their local communities under his proposed changes to labour laws, Labour’s Associate Labour spokesperson Darien Fenton says.

“Cleaners representing schools, Parliament and the police college have warned MPs on the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee about the impact of proposed changes to Part 6A of the Employment Relations Act.

“Not only will the changes lower their pay and cut their hours, it will affect the quality of work they are able to do.

“School Cleaners are particularly vulnerable, as even the largest of schools have fewer than 20 cleaners and will be subject to the proposed changes. Their jobs and pay will no longer be protected if their contractor changes hands or the work is franchised.

“This doesn’t only affect the cleaners and their families, but it will have an impact on the health and safety of kids at school. It is vital that school toilets, kitchens and classrooms are kept clean. Taking short cuts, as this change will inevitably lead to, means our schools could become hotbeds of infection, as happened overseas where there have been similar moves to cut costs.

“I hope Simon Bridges is listening and will withdraw his amendment to weaken the important protections of Part 6A,” Darien Fenton says.

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