SIPTU’s Contract Cleaning and Security Services Sector is balloting more than 10,000 security static guards and contract cleaners over the next two months.
The Union is recommending a YES vote in the ballot over two new national collective agreements. The proposals, if endorsed by SIPTU members, will pave the way to have both agreements registered under the newly enacted Industrial Relations Act 2012. SIPTU lobbied for the legislation so that the Employment Regulation Orders (EROs) and Registered Employment Agreements (REAs) could be put on a sound legal footing.
Contract cleaners and security officers were previously covered by EROs up to July 2011 when they were struck down by the High Court.
Since then, SIPTU along with a wider progressive coalition of other unions and NGOs have been lobbying for new legislation in order to provide workers – such as cleaners, security officers and other low-paid workers – to negotiate collectively bargained yet legally enforceable minimum conditions of employment for their industries.
SIPTU cleaners as part of the Fair Deal for Cleaners campaign played a leading role in agitating, lobbying and protesting to advance the rights of all low-paid workers. Because of this, SIPTU cleaners managed to secure a “holding” REA for six months from February to August this year.
The sets of proposals protect and enhance the minimum conditions of employment in both industries. In contract cleaning, the minimum rate of pay of €9.50 has been protected. In security, the minimum entry rate of pay has been enhanced by a 7.5% increase, now at €10.75 an hour.
The proposals are being recommended by both SIPTU negotiating teams. These teams are made up of union organisers who organise and bargain in the industry along with elected Shop Stewards who are industry experts in cleaning and security.
Seeking to develop REAs in both contract cleaning and security is a critical part of SIPTU’s overall union and sector strategy and is a bid to organise workers and build worker power with real leverage in the cleaning and security industries.
Having such agreements in place is critical in contracted services in order to take wages out of competition and to avoid placing unionised contractors in an uncompetitive situation. They also constitute a key piece of infrastructure that seeks to defend workers’ earnings in what are labour intensive industries.
The union believes the two agreements, if endorsed by the membership, will create an opportunity to organise more cleaners and security officers.
The agreements have also involved significant collaboration between SIPTU’s Strategic Organising Department and the sector during the contract cleaning REA talks.