Five staff killed in just two years at the sites of waste giant Cleanaway will be remembered at an evening vigil, as the Transport Workers Union (TWU) prepares for pay bargaining to get underway.
TWU members will hold a Workers’ Memorial Day vigil in honour of the eight staff killed since mid-2022 – five in the past two years.
Cleanaway is not accused of having any responsibility for the deaths.
TWU national secretary Michael Kaine called the deaths “tragic” and “preventable”.
Negotiations between the TWU and Cleanaway are set to get underway around the country later this year, with the union warning the bargaining process could open the possibility of protected industrial action by thousands of staff.
In a statement, a Cleanaway spokesperson said the company maintained ongoing communication with its workforce.
“(Cleanaway) works constructively to progress fair and equitable workplace agreements, with the goal of securing conditions that support Cleanaway’s diverse workforce into the future,” the spokesperson said.
The TWU said it was also launching a case in the Industrial Relations Commission in NSW over allegations the waste company failed to allow union officials to conduct safety inspections.
The union alleges previous inspections at Cleanaway sites revealed biological hazards, including broken blood samples and spilt urine samples, as well as inadequate emergency procedures.
Cleanaway said it took compliance and regulatory requirements “very seriously”.
“Protection of the environment and safety are foundations of Cleanaway,” the spokesperson said.
“Should the TWU have any specific concerns regarding health and safety matters, we welcome the opportunity to hear those concerns and address them.
“Cleanaway is committed to working constructively with the TWU and respectfully asks that established right of entry protocols are observed to ensure the safety of all visitors to our sites.”
Mr Kaine said the alleged conditions were “deplorable”, and lashed Cleanaway chief executive Mark Schubert, who took home $4.2m in the 2024-25 financial year, even after bonuses were docked because of worker deaths.
At Cleanaway’s AGM last year, 40 per cent voted against executive pay – if two such votes are made in the future, the board will be spilt.
Cleanaway is one of Australia’s largest waste companies, managing kerbside waste pick-up as well as clinical waste disposal and several landfills.
