Tuesday, 28 November 2023

Narre Warren South school cleaning

Gary MAAS (Narre Warren South) (19:07): (464) The adjournment matter I wish to raise is for the attention of the Minister for Education, and it concerns our school cleaners. The action that I seek is that the minister provide more information on how the state government is improving conditions for school cleaners in my electorate of Narre Warren South. There are 14 government schools in my electorate, where school cleaners play a crucial role in maintaining clean and healthy working and learning environments for students, teachers and staff. The state government’s Victorian school cleaning review working group has now completed its comprehensive review to ensure all government schools receive consistent high-quality cleaning services, and we all know that our school cleaners work hard and deserve respect. They are indeed an integral part of our community.

For many years I have been a strong advocate for the efforts of our school cleaners, particularly the efforts of their union, the United Workers Union, as well as the Australian Education Union and the Parenthood, who have been really terrific over the last few years in bringing together all the various stakeholders, including parents, teachers, principals, cleaners and members of Parliament, to address the wages and conditions of school cleaners.

I know that the Allan Labor government is focused on reducing casualisation and insecure work and providing school cleaners with great levels of job certainty, training and support, and I acknowledge what this government has done to stamp out wage theft and poor labour hire practices. So it is this government that will keep striving to provide the cleanest schools possible while supporting school cleaners and the work that they do. I would appreciate if the minister could provide more information on how the state government is improving conditions for school cleaners in my electorate, and I look forward to sharing the minister’s response with my community.