This article was co-written by CAF and AustralianSuper.
AustralianSuper is working with the Cleaning Accountability Framework (CAF) to support transparency and accountability in Australian cleaning supply chains.
As an investor, AustralianSuper believes that fair and transparent employment conditions support long term-value creation in the companies and assets it invests in.
AustralianSuper has $7.2 billion invested in the Australian property sector, and approximately 90,000 members employed in the Australian cleaning sector (as at 31 December 2024). By supporting CAF, AustralianSuper seeks to improve the working conditions and retirement outcomes for members and contribute towards improving conditions for workers in the industry more broadly.
The cleaning industry has been identified as being at high risk of modern slavery due to several factors including unsustainably priced contracts, subcontracting practices, fragmented workplaces, low rates of union membership, and low levels of monitoring and oversight by procurers of cleaning services.
AustralianSuper co-founded CAF with the United Workers Union (UWU) in 2012 to protect cleaners from exploitation by driving responsible contracting and procurement practices.
Working together for better outcomes for cleaners
Through AustralianSuper’s representation on the Board of CAF and its involvement in working groups, AustralianSuper has supported CAF in developing a due diligence framework to help protect cleaners from exploitation through responsible contracting and procurement practices.
CAF certifies commercial and retail real estate assets through its set of labour standards which seek to ensure that cleaning staff are employed and compensated in line with award or collective agreement conditions, that appropriate labour practices are upheld by stakeholders with direct or indirect control over cleaners’ working conditions, and that cleaners are treated with respect.
In September 2024, AustralianSuper presented at the launch of CAF Portfolio Certification, which scales the CAF model from a building-by-building approach to enable the property sector to achieve labour rights assurance across their portfolios. CAF Portfolio Certification maintains the effectiveness of CAF’s Building Certification model while improving efficiency and expanding the number of property assets assessed and cleaners engaged. Its lower cost per-building makes it a more efficient option for property companies seeking to protect vulnerable workers across their portfolio value chains.
Worker voices are key to a best practice due diligence model
CAF’s model is based on education and ongoing engagement with workers to identify early warning signs of modern slavery indicators and to raise vulnerable workers’ expectations and experience of decent work in Australia.
A distinguishing feature of CAF’s approach is its meaningful worker voice component, which enables cleaners to safely raise issues that are addressed through multi-stakeholder dialogue and cooperation. CAF Representatives, who are cleaners themselves, are nominated by their colleagues to voice issues and ensure they are escalated up the supply chain.
Like many migrant workers, AustralianSuper member and Spring Place CAF Representative, John Nunez faced challenges upon entering the cleaning industry: “Since arriving in Australia, I have faced challenges common to many immigrant workers, such as the lack of knowledge about our labour rights and fair working conditions…[CAF] allowed me not only to learn about my own rights but also to support other workers in similar situations, helping them understand their rights and advocate for their interests. Through providing this support, I discovered a true passion for helping and ensuring that people in this sector have access to fair and dignified working conditions. CAF’s mission to promote transparency, accountability, and ethical labour standards in the cleaning sector deeply resonates with my own values and my desire to contribute to a more just and equitable industry.”
Antonia Parkes, Senior Director, ESG & Stewardship, AustralianSuper said: “CAF has cemented its place as an innovative model to assess supply chain risks of modern slavery in the cleaning industry and is an invaluable part of risk management. Central to CAF’s success is that it involves a range of stakeholders, cleaning contractors, property owners, investors, facility managers, regulators, unions and most importantly workers.”
A scalable due diligence approach for the property sector
Just over a decade since AustralianSuper co-founded CAF, it is now recognised for implementing a successful multi-stakeholder initiative, based on a certification system which has had a positive impact on preventing worker exploitation. This certification system involves a due diligence model for the retail and commercial property services sector.
Between 2019 and 2025, CAF has identified and investigated over 1,200 compliance issues across the cleaning services supply chains of 81 commercial office buildings and shopping centres in Australia, 60 of which are currently certified. Over this period, 70% of compliance issues were identified through worker engagement, as compared to only 30% found through audits. In the case of some serious issues, e.g. bullying and harassment and dangerous work, issues are only identified through worker engagement. This highlights the effectiveness and necessity of engaging workers directly in the assessment and ongoing compliance process.
Annually, CAF Building Certification reaches more than 2,267 cleaners who work at CAF-Certified buildings in Australia, some of which AustralianSuper is indirectly invested in through ISPT (now a property division of IFM Investors).
CAF Contractor Prequalification is another key mechanism by which CAF seeks to improve worker conditions in the industry. This program recognises a cleaning contractor’s employment systems, policies and procedures being set up to promote compliance with the CAF Standard. In order to obtain and maintain CAF Prequalification, a cleaning employer must demonstrate their willingness and ability to uphold good employment standards and address and remediate compliance issues, including through establishing a good faith working relationship with United Workers Union. Worker engagement is deployed as a mechanism to validate that CAF standards are being met. CAF facilitates annual face to face meetings at various contractor worksites, allowing workers to raise issues and provide feedback in a safe and confidential forum. Over 26,000 cleaners are employed by twelve CAF-Prequalified cleaning companies.
AustralianSuper’s support of CAF forms part of its broader industry engagement on workforce issues, including modern slavery. For more information, visit https://www.australiansuper.com/investments/how-we-invest/esg-management
Links
ISPT receives industry first Cleaning Accountability Framework gold portfolio rating – ISPT
Sponsored by AustralianSuper Pty Ltd, ABN 94 006 457 987, AFSL 233788, Trustee of AustralianSuper ABN 65 714 394 898.
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The views expressed are those of the AustralianSuper member based on their particular circumstances, reproduced with their continuing consent.