Workers at a laundry in Perth have created industry best practice wages and conditions because they were united, joined up their mates to our union and were ready to take action.
Working in laundries is a tough industry to work in. In laundries across the country, workers are paid very low wages for the difficult job they do. They work in dangerous conditions and high temperatures with very few breaks. At one site in WA, our members decided enough was enough and began to pursue wages and conditions that had not been seen in the industry before.
Because these workers were united and resolved, they were able to achieve a pay rise of almost 20 percent over the lifetime over the agreement, including backpay and huge improvements to safety and breaks. Significantly, Ensign Laundry Murdoch laundry workers now enjoy Birthday Leave, a condition that even the Fair Work Commissioner said was too much of an ambitious ask but because members were resolved to strike, the employer acquiesced.
These workers have now set a precedent for all Australian laundry workers, so watch this space as our union rolls out the campaign to lift up all laundry workers across the country.
We have to stand strong. Stand firm, united. Everybody united and you have one heart, and we fight for it. – Fatai Skelton, UWU Delegate and Ensign Laundry worker