BY TIM DOUGHNEY

GEELONG — Six cleaning staff employed at the Gordon Institute, the largest provider of technical and further education in the Geelong region, have lost their jobs after a change of contractor.

Waynes Cleaning Systems, a Melbourne-based contractor, has only picked up six of the 12 workers previously employed at the institute.

After hearing of the termination of their employment, the six workers started a picket line on May 1 in the front of the institute to demand their jobs back and were promptly joined by three of their workmates who had not been sacked.

“We're sick of these contractors coming in and thinking they can get away with murder, but that's not going to happen this time”, said Trudy Hanns, one of the six sacked cleaning workers, all of whom are women. “What they want to do is bring in cheaper labour by using trainees so they can get a money back from the government as well as making them work less hours."

Soon after the picket line started the sacked workers, who are in the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union, received support from Geelong Trades Hall, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, the Electrical Trades Union and the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia. The other unions have provided the LHMU picket with food, shelter, fire, and support in maintaining the picket.

From Green Left Weekly, May 7, 2003.
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