positivelypublic

Contracting out affects all workers: NSW model removes schools officers and school business managers

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Representatives from the LHMU and QPSU last week toured NSW PPP schools, which are operating under the model the Queensland Government is seeking to implement. During the inspections it was discovered, amongst other things, that:

• There are no SBMs (Registrars) or schools officers (janitors or grounds persons) employed by the education department. Spotless employs one Site Manager at each school, who keeps the grounds, manages the school as a facility, and performs emergency cleaning, security and other duties within the school. One worker, the site manager, essentially replaces the Registrar and the Schools Officer and performs all of that work themselves. Site Managers are paid $38000 per year.
• The contract has no requirement for number of cleaner hours. The schools inspected had far lower cleaner hour numbers than currently operate in Queensland schools.

Contracting out affects all workers and as a result the quality of our schools suffer. Our jobs are too important to schools for us to sit back and allow widespread contracting out to occur.

We have also seen the program extend in New South Wales, despite assurances that it would stay confined to a handful of new schools. In NSW they started with nine schools, and then added another 10 schools. Now the program is focusing on the refurbishment of existing schools.

Even if our schools are not affected now, we will be in the near future. If our schools require refurbishment, the nature of our jobs may be on the line.

That is why hundreds of workers in schools have joined the Positively Public campaign.

This week we are having a series of regional meetings to launch the campaign, with south east and Brisbane meetings to follow in the coming weeks.

All workers in schools are encouraged to attend. The times and venues are:

Tuesday 11th March

Atherton, Atherton State High School - Auditorium, 4pm

Wednesday 12h March

Innisfail, Innisfail Inclusive Ed Centre- McIvor Centre. 4pm

Bundaberg, Council of Unions Building 44 Maryborough St, Jim Emery Room, 4pm

Townsville, Bohlevale State School, Library, 4pm

Thursday 13th March

Rockhampton, Union Trade Building 110 Campbell St, Rockhampton, 4pm

Mackay, Mackay North State high School, Library, 4pm

Wednesday 19th March

Gladstone, Port Curtis Education Centre 74 Auckland St. Gladstone, 4pm