While the demand for cleaning services is expected to spike during the pandemic, some cleaners in Australia say they're not being given enough time, the right training or equipment to do the job properly.
When Saddam isn't studying to become an accountant, the 29-year-old is part of Australia's defence against COVID-19.
But as lessons moved from the classroom to online, his shifts at the school were cut. Without access to any government support, it made living that much harder.It's a similar story for many in the workforce, which heavily relies on Australia's migrant community. "Temporary workers who aren't eligible for Centrelink and don't have access to JobSeeker or JobKeeper, that loss of income can be very, very meaningful and can have a direct flow-on in terms of consequences not only for them but for their family."Many cleaners are busier than ever as COVID-19 calls for extra sterilisation of workplaces and public places.
“At the moment they shouldn't necessarily feel that way because there is a gap between public expectation and what cleaners are able to do because of the way contracts are structured." A national survey of more than 500 cleaners conducted by the union during the pandemic and released in May found 91 per cent are rushing essential cleaning work because they're not given enough time, and eight in 10 don't always have enough cleaning equipment.
Saddam says he was given no training, lacks the proper resources, and his wage doesn't keep up with rising living costs.Ms Potter Butler said"the equation for quality cleaning is really simple; train cleaners up, give them enough time to do the job, give them enough resources and they will deliver for you but the contracts, procurers of cleaners, don't structure their contracts in that way".
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