Report From the National President

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -1100

Report from the National President

It is my intention to keep members fully informed of the activities of the BSCAA. The following is a summary of the decisions taken at the BSCAA National Board meeting held 10th and 11th November 2011

To support the World Federation of Building Service Contractors initiative to draw a plan for Cleaning for Health to improve the global health care industry fight against cross infections
To post on our website a definitive position on illegal subcontracting
To send to members the changes to OH&S laws from Cruse Partners and to promote their new Induction program
To sign, along with the Shopping Centre Council of Australia a Code of Conduct for contractors.
To review the BSCAA website for improvements.

Other items discussed -

National Industrial Relations

The Union has stepped up its campaign to roll out CleanStart in the retail sector. Three member companies Spotless, Glad Group and Assetlink Services have been partitioned by the Union to start Ballots on selected sites. If successful, the Ballots will then enable the Union to take Protected Industrial Action.

I would urge all contractors in Retail to begin discussions with their cleaners on Retail sites concerning the ramifications of significant wage increases at this time.

The industry needs to stay strong and united in the light of this action. The BSCAA National Board is maintaining a strong dialogue with the Shopping Centre Council of Australia and they are very supportive of our actions to date.

World Federation of Building Service Contractors

Nominations are called for a BSCAA member to represent the Association on the Board of the World Federation. The WFBSC Board meets bi-annually prior to the WFBSC Congress which is next to be held in Cubritiba, Brazil October 10-14 2012. Interested persons should contact me via the National Office.

State Reports

A meeting is proposed for December to set up a steering committee to reactivate the BSCAA in ACT.

Currently there are 23,000 registered cleaners and 772 employers in the NSW Portable Long Service Leave Scheme.

The Excellence Awards were a great success. Congratulations to Daniel Diaz, winner of the Young Manager of the Year Award and to all who participated in the event. Well done!

The Queensland Division has been actively involved with the Government in proposed changes to school holidays and Public holidays.

BSCAA Qld and the Construction & Property Services Industry Skills Council (CPSISC) are undertaking a pilot scheme to identify deficiencies in training.

A letter has been sent to the Education Department raising concerns with contract cost recovery.

BSCAA Victoria is in discussions with Education Victoria regarding changes to the School Panel process.

With the support of BSCAA and its members Swinburne University have developed an OH&S training resource to assist staff for whom English is not their primary language. The 78 page workbook, training manual and DVD titled “Safe Cleaning Matters” is an excellent OH&S resource that I recommend all our members utilise. The package is now available to purchase from the BSCAA Victoria webpage – www.bscaavic.com.au.

Mark Berry and the Cleaning Council of WA are jointly working on an industry training package which will have incentives for membership with each trainee.

Elections will be held in WA 15th November

Two important events in 2012 you should note:

Supplier Showcase 13th March

Regional Conference 11th – 13th May

Terry Corby

National President BSCAA

Illegal Subcontracting

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -1100

ILLEGAL SUBCONTRACTING

The BSCAA does not support illegal subcontracting, it is a practice which undermines the interests of members who operate in accord with the Fair Work Act, relevant Awards and the National Employment Standards and gives those not operating within the law a competitive advantage, thus driving contract prices in a downward spiral.

A recent report entitled Race to the Bottom commissioned by the CFMEU states:

“Sham contracting seriously undermines employment standards….it allows employers to avoid costs associated with standard forms of employment such as annual leave, sick leave and redundancy payments. Statutory obligations such as payroll tax, workers compensation insurance and superannuation payments are systematically ignored. The enforcement of statutory rights such as unfair dismissal is also made more difficult. Sham contracting shifts responsibility and cost to employees”.

The impact of illegal subcontracting has far reaching consequences in areas such as retirement incomes, training and safety and contributes to the loss of billions of dollars of tax income. Commonly the ABN system is abused

Notwithstanding, BSCAA recognizes that there are many contractors who legitimately enter into subcontracting arrangements. In order for the subcontract to be legal, the subcontractor will

Be incorporated
Be registered for GST and have an ABN
Provide services for more than one principal contractor
Supply its own equipment and materials
Make PAYG tax deductions for employees
Hold relevant insurances for workers compensation and public liability
Have a written contract

BSCAA News Articles - Building Service Contractors Association of Australia

Report From the National President

Illegal Subcontracting