Embargo: 6 am Monday 16 June 2008
Media Release
ACT Government winner of
2008 Golden Toilet Brush Award
Photo opportunity
10 am Monday 16 June
Award ceremony outside ACT Legislative Assembly
The ACT Government is the winner of the 2008 Golden Toilet Brush Award, the LHMU the
cleaners’ union today announced today.
ACT cleaners and their supporters will hold an official Golden Toilet Brush Award Ceremony
outside the ACT Legislative Assembly today. ACT Branch Secretary of the LHMU will invite
Minister Andrew Barr to attend the ceremony to accept the Award on behalf of the ACT
Government.
“15 June is International Cleaners’ Day. Cleaners commemorate the Day each year by awarding Golden Toilet
Brush Awards. The Award has been very tightly contested again this year but, unfortunately, the ACT
Government stood out from other contenders.
“I’m disappointed to announce that the 2008 Golden Toilet Brush Award has been won by the ACT
Government for its failure to implement the Clean Start reforms ACT Government cleaning contracts.
The Minister for Education Mr. Andrew Barr launched the Clean Start Fair Go for Cleaners Campaign in April
2006. In October 2006 the Chief Minister added his support for the campaign in a newspaper advertisement
marking International Anti-Poverty Day.
“Although here have been some improvements to the Government’s contracting system, ACT cleaners are still
waiting for the long overdue full implementation of Clean Start reforms. Cleaners, most of them women and
most from non-English speaking backgrounds, have been disappointed by a long series of delays.
“There have been many media reports of complaints from public servants regarding long hours and impossible
workloads but little has been said about the literally impossible and unsafe workloads of cleaners. Cleaners,
including those working in the Assembly, struggle on the $10 per week wage increase awarded to them in
October while our pollies can enjoy the minimum increase of $85 per week announced on Thursday.
“I hope Mr Barr will accept the Award on behalf of his Government.
“We suggest the approximately 750 cm long Award be used as a replacement for the ceremonial mace used at
the Assembly as a daily reminder to the Government of the 2000 Canberra cleaners who rely on them to lead
the way on reform of the cleaning industry.”
Details of the Golden Toilet Brush Award Ceremony are:
When:
10 am, Monday, 16 June 2008
Where:
Outside ACT Legislative Assembly
Contact::
Lyndal Ryan, Secretary, ACT Branch, LHMU the cleaners' union
02 6273 1238 or 0411 643 982
NEWS 
