Exploitation of workers in Australia’s cleaning industry

Next time you walk into a public toilet ask yourself how much you would want to be paid per hour to clean the place. Maybe $30? $50? Not enough money in the world could make you wipe a stranger’s bowl? The 2010 Cleaning Services Award sets the minimum hourly rate for a Level 1 full-time cleaner at $18.46. It is not a lot for such a vital service. Imagine what our offices, schools and commercial precincts would be like without cleaners. Yet it seems too hard for cleaning companies to provide appropriate wages and work conditions. Read the full articl