At our Portfolio Certification Launch, Jennifer Alonso, CAF’s Worker Engagement Officer, spoke to her experience as an international student working as a cleaner and her current role at CAF. Below is the speech delivered by Jennifer at the event.
It’s a privilege for me to be here today, sharing a little bit about my experience in Australia working in the cleaning industry, as a CAF Rep, and now as a Worker Engagement Officer at CAF.
I arrived in Australia 5 years ago as an international student, just like some of you here today.
As an international student, life is very expensive, so finding work is not an option but a necessity to cover living costs here. Over these 5 years, I worked for 3 years as a cleaner. While working in different places, I noticed that over 80% of my colleagues were also migrants, many with limited English skills. We often shared our frustrations, but many of us preferred to stay quiet, fearing we might lose our jobs if we spoke up.
Just to mention a few challenges I witnessed or experienced personally: ineffective equipment that made our job harder, large areas to clean with very limited time, trials that lasted over a week without any pay, and lack of proper training. In my case, I didn’t receive the proper training, so I didn’t know how to clean an area quickly. I was given 4 hours to finish the job, but it took me 6 hours, and the extra 2 hours were never paid, I had to face this for a month.
In my last year as a cleaner, I worked at a CAF-certified site. Not long after, I was asked if I wanted to be a representative for my colleagues. Nervously, I accepted because, for the first time, I saw an opportunity for our voices to be heard. My colleagues were facing issues, mainly around workload, but just like in other places, no one dared to speak up.
The training I received as a CAF Rep was eye-opening. After living in Australia for nearly 3 years, I realised that we all have rights and that there are laws to be respected. And it was only through us, the workers, that these issues could be brought to light.
Later, a position opened up at CAF, and for the past year, I’ve been working here as a Worker Engagement Officer. My role involves directly engaging with cleaners. Through their participation in Worker Engagement Meetings, we gather detailed reports on the situations they face. CAF and the Union work together creating reports that are then presented to stakeholders.
My work allows for real-time feedback by having direct contact with those who are directly involved, the cleaners. By working closely with the United Workers Union, we ensure that buildings are certified only when cleaners are treated fairly.
Today, we have the wonderful participation of the Spring Place cleaning team and two of our CAF Representatives, Yenifer and Khusbu, who play a fundamental role with their colleagues. They lead meetings, guide their peers on how to handle situations, and work with the Union and CAF to keep us informed about what is happening in each certified building. Thank you all for accepting this invitation, and thank you for your incredible work. Today, we are enjoying this impeccably clean area, thanks to you.
Before I close, I want us to take a moment to reflect on what cleaners represent in the places we work and the places we shop or spend time with our families. A clean environment reduces the risk of illness and absenteeism, which improves employee productivity. Additionally, the cleanliness of a building or shopping centre directly reflects the owner’s brand image, conveying a message of professionalism, care, and attention to detail. These spaces function well because of cleaners; let’s not overlook the daily effort they put in to ensure we enjoy these spaces.
Their work reflects what you give them—it’s a mutual exchange of care.
My final invitation is for you to take the opportunity, once we close this part of the session, to approach them and speak with them. This is a great opportunity.