News & Events

Clean Start triggers in ACT, Melbourne and Adelaide

MEDIA RELEASE Friday, August 14, 2009 For Immediate Release


CBD CLEANING COSTS TO RISE: Fair Work Commissioner activates Clean Start

Cleaning charges in the Central Business Districts of Melbourne, Adelaide and the Australian Capital Territory are set to rise following an independent hearing by Fair Work Australia in Melbourne this week.

As a result of the hearing, the Fair Work Commissioner today issued orders to major cleaning contractors in Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide to comply with the LHMU Clean Start Union Collective Agreement 2008.

Commissioner Grainger determined that the thresholds of the Agreement had been met and the majority of contractors named in the Agreement in those cities are Clean Start contractors and further, that 50 percent of the CBD as defined in the agreement is being cleaned by Clean Start contractors.
The Agreement applies to cleaners working in designated areas of Central Business District buildings in capital cities. It relates to changes in minimum shifts, overtime rate thresholds, work breaks, work load, pay rates, allowances, loadings and job security.
Rodney Barnes, President of the Building Service Contractors Association (BSCAA), said “As a result of orders being issued by the independent umpire Fair Work Australia, property owners and tenants in CBD areas need to be aware of their impact on costs that must be passed on to clients by cleaning contractors.”

Recently, Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard announced the government’s intention to favour awarding contracts to cleaning companies that had signed Clean Start Agreements. Similar announcements have already been made by the South Australian and Tasmanian Governments. It is expected that other State Governments are likely to also follow the lead of the Commonwealth.
Clean Start is the first ever national Union Collective Agreement in the contract cleaning industry. The first agreements were signed in October last year by the majority of cleaning contractors in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.
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INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS WORKSHOPS

BSCAA will conduct a series of workshops to explain the impact of the Fair Work Act and the Modern
Awards for both the Cleaning and Security Divisions.

The workshops will be conducted by Rick Gesterkamp who has had long experience in the industry and will be held weekly at the BSCAA office - Suite 3 139 Alexander Street Crows Nest for as long as
there is a demand.



Cost of the workshop is $33/head and will be held for a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 10 people
to allow for active participation by all attendees.

Limited 2 hour street parking is available or there is a council car park 2 blocks away in Hume Street
which offers free 2 hour parking.

Register your interest by emailing or faxing this sheet to bscaansw@bscaa.asn.au or 9906 8146
indicating your preferred session time.

MEMORANDUM TO MEMBERS

BSCAA is pleased to advise that it has negotiated for our members an attractive insurance package for members nationally through DMA Insurance Brokers who have joined the Association as a preferred Diamond Supplier.

DMA specialise in public liability insurance for security companies and can provide insurance to companies who operate in both security and cleaning operations. DMA are the largest security provider in Australia and BSCAA have negotiated a 10% discount on all insurance business writeen through DMA for its members.

Please ensure that you contact DMA Insurance Brokers when you require insurance and compare their prices.

Contact: John Mattock 02 9687 3880
jrm@dmainsure.com.au

AUSTRALIAN FAIR PAY COMMISSION DECISION 2009

The Australian Fair Pay Commission today July 7 2009, announced its fourth and final minimum Wage Setting Decision.

"In a decision intended to protect jobs and to support a stronger recovery in employment as the economy picks up, the Commission has decided to leave Australia's Federal Minimum Wage unchanged at $543.78 per week. The Australian Pay and Classifications Scales will also remain unchanged at the present levels throughout 2009."

This means the anticipated increase of approximately 3% effective October 1 2009 will not occur. The next increase in wages and conditions for most of the industry will take effect from January 1, 2010 with the introduction of the Cleaning Services Modern Award.

LHMU CleanStart Agreement

A significant number of NSW contractors have signed the LHMU CleanStart Agreement which will take effect for those signatories in the Sydney CBD from
July 1, 2009.

The agreement is the result of negotiations between the LHMU and the industry over the past 2 years to improve industry standards and conditions for employees.

Many of the agreed conditions of the Agreement hve been reflected in the conditions contained in the Exposure Draft of the Modern Award.

Fair Work Australia - New Bargaining laws to apply from July 1 2009

The Fair Work Bill provides a new bargaining scheme for low paid employees and is generally regarded as providing a more favourable environment in which Union can operate. Subject to parlimentary approval, the Bill will operate from July 1, 2009.

EMA Consulting states "according to the Bill, the low paid bargaining scheme is intended to assist those low paid employees and employers who have not historically had the benefits of collective bargaining.......... The provisions will have the effect of displacing the minimum wage, modern award and national employment standards safety net and reducing any scope within a low margin industry to actually bargain. The comprehensive safety net structure already in place will now be combined with additional gains to be obtained through bargaining and importantly, arbitration.

......It should be a major consideration (for the Government) in proceeding down this path that the employers likely to be affected will be starting from a considerably higher safety net than previously. The new NES, the 2007 and 2008 minimum wage decisions and the award modernisation process have all combined to increase labour costs in the lower paid sectors."

Investment Allowance for small business

The Government has announced an extension and enhancement of the Investment Allowance announced last year. Now called the Small Business and General Business Tax Break it now allows for 30% of the cost of eligible assets instead of 10% and the $10,000 asset threshold has been replaced with a $1,000 asset threshold for small business with a turnover of $2 million or less.

The previous deadline of 30 June 2009 still applies to claim the 30% benefit but a busines that acquires an asset by 31 December 2009 will be in a postion to claim a benefit of 10% - a six month extension on the previous cut off date.

Contact your accountant for further details.

Agar Excellence Awards

The Agar Excellence Awards held on November 12 and attended by more than
140 industry members was again heralded as an outstanding success and very appropriately rewards those members of our industry who at the coalface, maintaining their sites to very high professional levels of presentation.

BSCAA NSW thanks all those involved in the sponsorship, organizing and especially all those nominated and those who won the individual categories,
the Company Award and the Young Managers' Award.

Industry initiatives for cleaning and security developed with the assistance of WorkCover grants

Occupational Health & Safety System for Security Guards
A project to assist small security companies providing guarding and crowd control services in the management of their occupational health and safety responsibilities.

Two documents have been produced - a complete OH&S Risk Management Manual for the company and an Induction manual for employees which can be customized to suit your company. Available on CD free of charge.
This project received high praise from WorkCover.


Safety for cleaners in Waste Management

Targeted at cleaning contractors working in waste management areas of buildings including shopping centres, commercial, industrial, health and educational facilities. The project was developed by BSCAA to educate the cleaning industry in the understanding of specific occupational health and safety issues related to the transfer and processing of waste including loading docks and waste transfer areas.
A safety manual, poster and risk assessments are available at no cost to your company.

OH&S for the Carpet & Upholstery & Restoration Industries

A Safety manual for the company and an employee induction handbook, again free of cost fort contractors engaged in this facet of the industry.

Quoting and Estimating Course

BSCAA's two hour Quoting and Estimating course for the cleaning industry is well regarded. Conducted by a practising contractor with long experience in the industry, the course is held at the BSCAA office 3/139 Alexander Street, Crows Nest at a cost of $77/hr for members and $154/hd for non members.

Contact Kelly on 9437 4411 to register.

Union right of entry

BSCAA has been advised that some Union represenatives are entereing sites without notice under the pretext of investigating a breach of the OH&S Act.

Members should advise their employees that such entry is not authorised unless the suspected breach is specified. The Industrial Relations Act 1996 Section 298 (5) (b) states "the authorised industrial officer must, after entering the premises and before carrying out any investigation, give the person who is apparently in charge of the premises the warrant or a copy of the warrant".

Your employees should be informed it is an offence under the Act to hinder or obstruct the employer or employees during their working time. A person must not purport to exercise the powers of an authorised industrial officer, if that person is not the holder of a current authority issued by the Industrial Registrar.

Union representatives may enter premises where relevant employees are engaged, for the purpose of holding discussions with the employees at the premises in any lunch time or non-working time.

Clean Start triggers in ACT, Melbourne and Adelaide

MEDIA RELEASE Friday, August 14, 2009 For Immediate Release


CBD CLEANING COSTS TO RISE: Fair Work Commissioner activates Clean Start

Cleaning charges in the Central Business Districts of Melbourne, Adelaide and the Australian Capital Territory are set to rise following an independent hearing by Fair Work Australia in Melbourne this week.

As a result of the hearing, the Fair Work Commissioner today issued orders to major cleaning contractors in Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide to comply with the LHMU Clean Start Union Collective Agreement 2008.

Commissioner Grainger determined that the thresholds of the Agreement had been met and the majority of contractors named in the Agreement in those cities are Clean Start contractors and further, that 50 percent of the CBD as defined in the agreement is being cleaned by Clean Start contractors.
The Agreement applies to cleaners working in designated areas of Central Business District buildings in capital cities. It relates to changes in minimum shifts, overtime rate thresholds, work breaks, work load, pay rates, allowances, loadings and job security.
Rodney Barnes, President of the Building Service Contractors Association (BSCAA), said “As a result of orders being issued by the independent umpire Fair Work Australia, property owners and tenants in CBD areas need to be aware of their impact on costs that must be passed on to clients by cleaning contractors.”

Recently, Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard announced the government’s intention to favour awarding contracts to cleaning companies that had signed Clean Start Agreements. Similar announcements have already been made by the South Australian and Tasmanian Governments. It is expected that other State Governments are likely to also follow the lead of the Commonwealth.
Clean Start is the first ever national Union Collective Agreement in the contract cleaning industry. The first agreements were signed in October last year by the majority of cleaning contractors in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.
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Nation IR consultants EMA have issued a series of fact sheets on various aspects of Industrial Relations which can be downloaded from this site.