Decision details

Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by the Chair (the Lord Mayor) -

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)          that the City of Sydney communities have always highly valued the work of the City of Sydney’s cleansing and waste workforce;

(ii)         during the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, cleaners have become recognised as essential frontline workers, undertaking work that has been essential to keeping public spaces clean and hygienic, which has been a critical factor in Australia’s comparatively low Covid infection rates;

(iii)        the Cleaning Accountability Framework (CAF) is a certification body which aims to tackle subcontracting and wage theft in the supply chain;

(iv)       the Cleaning Accountability Framework works with cleaners, tenants, contractors, property owners, facility managers, and investors across the cleaning supply chain to ensure ethical labour practices, bringing sustainable, transparent and accountable procurement processes to clearing supply chains;

(v)         the Cleaning Accountability Framework building certification is recognised in the Green Star Performance rating tool, which assesses the operational performance of existing buildings;

(vi)       wage theft is a widespread problem across many industries in Australia, and some groups are particularly vulnerable to wage theft including:

(a)        migrant workers on insecure visa arrangements;

(b)        young workers; and

(c)         workers in industries where subcontracting is common practice; and

(vii)      the Cleaning Accountability Framework certification scheme is a tangible measure that local governments can take to ensure that workers are not being exploited; and

(B)        the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)          investigate any necessary steps to apply for and gain Cleaning Accountability Framework accreditation including:

(d)        audit and worker engagement;

(e)        assessment;

(f)          certification; and

(g)        ongoing compliance;

(ii)         investigate the application of Cleaning Accountability Framework accreditation for Town Hall House; and

(iii)        report back to Councillors via the CEO Update.

Carried unanimously, as part of an in globo motion.

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