Blog Article

Why do we continue the race to the bottom in the cleaning industry in Australia?

Most cleaning companies especially sole traders compete primarily on price and engage in practices such as undercutting wages, exploiting workers, and neglecting safety and quality standards, has several negative consequences that need to be addressed:

1. Exploitation of Workers.
   Businesses may engage in unethical practices such as paying extremely low wages, exploiting migrant workers, or violating labour laws to cut costs. This can result in workers being paid below the minimum wage, working long hours without proper breaks, and facing unsafe working conditions. Such practice is unethical and unacceptable, and it needs to be stopped to ensure that workers in the cleaning industry are treated fairly and with dignity.
2. Undermining Quality of Service.
   When cleaning companies prioritize low prices over quality of service, it can result in subpar cleaning standards. This can lead to unsatisfactory results for clients and contribute to the spread of infections and diseases in public places, healthcare facilities. It is crucial to prevent the race to the bottom to ensure that cleaning services meet proper standards and provide effective cleaning solutions.
3. Negative Impact on Competing Businesses.
   The race to the bottom can also have detrimental effects on ethical and law-abiding cleaning businesses. When some companies engage in unethical practices to cut costs, it puts pressure on other businesses to follow suit to remain competitive, even if they want to uphold fair labour practices and quality standards. This can create an unfair and unsustainable business environment and hinder the growth of responsible cleaning businesses.
4. Overall Negative Social and Economic Impact.
   The social impact that racing to the bottom can have when exploiting workers can result in increased dependence on government welfare programs, loss of tax revenue due to underpayment of taxes, and a reduction in consumer purchasing power due to low wages. This can have a ripple effect on the overall economy and society, leading to increased inequality, decreased social cohesion, and reduced economic growth.

In conclusion, stopping the race to the bottom in the cleaning industry in Australia is important to protect the rights and well-being of workers, maintain quality service standards, promote fair competition, and safeguard the overall social and economic health of the community. It requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including businesses, government, workers, and consumers, to prioritize fair labour practices, safe working conditions, and quality service provision in the cleaning industry.

Trust your commercial property to Reynaldo and the team, for ethical commercial cleaning that keeps your property clean with trustworthy staff.