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TRADE UNION SIPTU has called on employers in the contract cleaning sector to honour a 40 cent-per-hour pay increase for cleaners that they say has been agreed upon but not implemented.
Since 2015, SIPTU has negotiated with employers in the sector — represented by the Irish Contract Cleaners Association (ICCA) — to set minimum pay standards through legally binding Employment Regulation Orders (ERO).
The last ERO expired in 2018 but SIPTU said that a new one had been negotiated earlier this year through the Contract Cleaning Joint Labour Committee and was awaiting formal Labour Court approval when the Covid-19 outbreak delayed its finalisation.
According to the draft ERO, published by the Labour Court on 9 January, the order would have increased the hourly rate of pay for contract cleaners — who provide outsourced cleaning services to businesses and workplaces including hospitals — from €10.80 to €11.20 on 1 March.
But the ICCA, which represents 75% of companies in the contract cleaning sector, said it is now “asking to re-open negotiations around the current pay proposal for the contract cleaning sector”.
In a statement, the association said, “Since the proposal was submitted to the Labour Court, the economic context in which the contract cleaning industry operates has changed profoundly.
“In common with almost every other industry in Ireland, the contract cleaning industry has been negatively impacted by the economic consequences of Covid-19… As a result of the sudden and severe economic repercussions of Covid-19, the ICCA wrote to the Joint Labour Committee on 29 April 2020, asking to re-open negotiations around the current pay proposal for the contract cleaning sector.
“We are not asking for the 40c increase to be dropped. Rather, we asked for a meeting to discuss the timing of the increase, with a view to ensuring it is introduced in a way that does not result in additional lay-offs or the cessation of contracts by clients, many of whom are themselves experiencing unprecedented loss of income and resulting financial pressures.”
“We remain committed to working with the trade unions – through the JLC process – to ensure fair remuneration and working conditions for all those employed in the contract cleaning sector.”
SIPTU organiser Teresa Hannick, who represents the workers, said, “Really, it’s unbelievable. We’re talking about essential workers at this stage. Most of these cleaners are in hospitals and healthcare facilities and even in transport. People are going out clapping for frontline workers and cleaners and we have a group of employers now saying, ‘we can’t afford to pay an increase.’”
Senator Paul Gavan, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on worker’s rights, said that the decision “to withhold this pay rise simply beggars belief”.
“We have contract cleaners putting their lives on the line in hospitals throughout the country, who get paid just €10.80 an hour. Their union, SIPTU, had negotiated a 40 cent increase in good faith with employers.”
It is understood that the ICCA believes that it is not ‘withholding’ the pay increase because it has not yet been given Labour Court approval.
In a press release on 18 May, ICCA board member Cormac Sheils — who is also managing director of cleaning firm Bidvest Noonan — said that many employers in the sector have “experienced sharp downturns in demand for their services” because of school, retail and other workplace closures.
“On the other hand, however, many of our members have seen increased demand for specialist cleaning and emergency response services, with a significantly increased demand in pharma and healthcare settings,” Sheils said.
“Throughout this pandemic, our cleaning staff have been on the frontlines – in hospitals, factories and care facilities – ensuring essential workplaces are clean and germ-free.”
“Cleaners are themselves providing an essential service during this difficult time. We have stepped up to the mark without hesitation, and we are ready and willing to continue to play our part in the reopening of Ireland’s economy. To ensure we can, it is vital we receive support on PPE issues and recognition of the additional costs incurred due to the pandemic.”
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Which bookies are giving odds on this whole fiasco being a disaster and Liveline being jammed solid with complaining parents when the results are released
@Thomas Meaney: odds are too short
@Thomas Meaney: anything to take our minds of what coming down the tracks say june july .. desperate when all they needed to do was pen up a few more classrooms stocke them u with gloves soap and water and get a few more supervisors and let students sit exam they prepared for .
@Mary Ward: any teacher that lives anywhere near their school is rural Ireland now has a target on their back…it could be the same in cities.
I’m guessing the main bit of the registration process involves agreeing to the terms and conditions on how the calculated grades system works
Good luck to all the LC students, I hope you all get what your looking for, but if ur don’t be assured it will not define you. Best of luck.
T minus 30 days till “But my little Timmy couldn’t of failed maths. He is a genius.”
@Milkybar Kid: couldn’t ‘have’ failed – I daresay English might be the test to look out for.
@Joe Vlogs: Milkybar Kid is right, that’s how the parent of a genius would of phrased it
Leaving could be going ahead in the next month. Put tables 2m apart and up supervision or stick a few cameras up. Spread it out over an extra week or 2 if needed.
@Colmok: but your forgetting no school since 12th March and the internet divide. I haven’t had any contact with any teacher since we closed. That isn’t fair on anyone.
I bet this website will be down or very slow tomorrow. No way it’ll handle all students connecting
Students will be asked to opt in through the portal to indicate if they wish to receive Calculated Grades. What happens if students opt against receiving Calculated Grades? Is the only option to sit the Leaving Cert when schools reopen and if they do so will they get to university this year? I feel for all the students doing their Leaving Cert this year and wish them all the best in the future.
I thought PPS cards could only be used to claim Social Welfare benefits? Correct me if I am wrong.
@Jack Cass: no one said public service card – pps number is the number used for everything from tax to social welfare to health care to pension benefits to college grants – perfectly reasonable info to ask for – the CAO even use it
@Jack Cass: Your PPS number is used if you engage with any Public Service, Education, Health, etc.
@Jack Cass: I remember 20 years ago when I turned 16 a pps card was sent to my house with my number on it. No photo or anything. I presume it was issued to me at that age back then as I would be allowed to legally work and pay tax from 16 onwards…. Everyone I knew got one back then….. Although I had started working at age 14 weekends and summer holidays anyway but was always cash in hand and paid fairly luckily.
@Gordon Walsh: Cheers lads, I must apply for an eye test.
@Jack Cass: Jack Ass.
Oops! Sorry!
@Jack Cass: am guessing ur grades weren’t great.
What will happen if they don’t register?
@sean o’dhubhghaill: I think the department assumes that they’re not accepting calculated grades and they will sit all of the exams at a later date. Everyone should sign up for them though and just sit the exams in the subjects they think they would have done better in.
@Colleen: I would have thought that having paid their examination fees that this way was the way they were doing this anyway and that IF they weren’t happy about what they got they could sit a written exam later in the year.. this is ridiculous! I had no idea they had to register for this.
@Lydia McLoughlin: examination fees were waived for this year….anyone who paid them were given a refund
@Rach O’Sullivan: Its not really the refund I’m pointing out but rather I’m asking why do they need to register again, shouldn’t the grades be automatically calculated as a matter of course for them anyway? They registered already to do their leaving cert so this was done once no? If they want to sit an exam as they’re not happy with the result later in the year then they can then do this.
I’m confused why they need to select higher or lower if its calculated grades then its average no?? If doing pass maths why not now say I’ll do hons and collect the extra 25pts!!!
@Lydia McLoughlin: Students can only move down to ordinary level they cannot move up to higher level. Your school should be communicating all of this with you.
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