In-house versus contract cleaning of state schools has been a recurring and often bitterly contested issue since the 1970s.
Late that decade the Charles Court Liberal government awarded contracts to private cleaners at newly built schools. It did this so as to be able to compare costs under the traditional in-house and contract systems. Schools using in-house cleaners were untouched. The government later extended the practice to 10 high schools.
With the election of the Burke Labor government in 1983, pressure mounted from the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union chief, Jim McGinty, to do away with contractors. Mr McGinty also wanted the private contractors to pay union dues on behalf of their employees, something the contractors rejected.
The clash had two outcomes by 1986.
Firstly, despite then education minister Bob Pearce backing Mr McGinty’s stand, the Burke government retreated from removing contract cleaners. It decided to retain them in the schools they already cleaned, but no new contracts were awarded. Secondly, Graham Kierath – who owned a private cleaning company – emerged as an industry spokesman and later entered parliament.
Under that government private sector school cleaning was expanded, as were non-medical services in hospitals, something the union also opposed.
Two Labor state conferences subsequently backed the union’s opposition to outsourcing of cleaning at schools.
The next milestone came with the election of Gallop-led Labor and the emergence of Alan Carpenter as education minister.
Much to the union’s displeasure, Mr Carpenter adopted a cost-focused and cost-saving approach to school cleaning. But he was later compelled to compromise to an extent by allowing school principals to chose having either in-house or contract cleaners.