Government workers wearing non fire resistant protective outfits but expected to tackle small fires in poor quality uniforms will be a thing of the past thanks to member participation in a CPSU investigation.  

During last year a survey of all uniform wearing members employed in the Victorian Public Service and the wider public sector was conducted to understand what members thought of the quality and the standard of Government supplied uniforms.  The results were damning.

Some workers were expected to put out small fires in uniforms that weren’t fire resistant; others were experiencing regular tears to uniforms, exposing them to risks.

Respondents also said cheap and poor quality materials like polyester were a concern, leading to excessive sweating and odour.

80 per cent of survey respondents expressed concerns regarding worker exploitation in their uniform supply chain. And importantly, 91 per cent of survey respondents believe that all government uniforms should be made in Victoria to support Victorian jobs.

The procurement issue was raised as we asked why the Victorian Government, as an employer and large procurer of goods, didn’t have a strong policy requiring Government Departments and Agencies to buy from Victorian suppliers of uniforms manufactured in Victoria.

CPSU commenced a review of Government procurement contracts to ascertain the location of manufacture and the value of the contracts.  We wanted to see whether a more ethical standard could be developed to put the purchasing power of the State at the forefront of investment in Victorian jobs so Government employees had uniforms that were fit for purpose.

Upon advice from Agencies it became clear that millions of dollars annually was spent overseas on a range of uniform procurement contracts from different suppliers in different countries with little or no centralised scrutiny of the nature of these purchases.

In discussions with Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) who provides accreditation to suppliers and manufacturers of clothing, it became clear that Departments and Agencies were using the ECA accredited Victorian companies but in some instances, were seeking two quotes for the procurement contracts; one being from the locally accredited company and one from its overseas subsidiary.

The purchase result was often a cheaper price for a cheaper quality uniform.  ECA expressed their concern when this evidence was presented to them.

CPSU approached the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union, as a result of this investigative work, to seek a joint submission to the upcoming Victorian Government Jobs Summit held last August.

Our unions developed a proposal for Government endorsement that would change these sharp practices across the sector, and would give uniform wearing public sector employees high quality, health and safety compliant, and fit for purpose uniforms, while supporting jobs and skills development in the Victorian clothing sector.

We sought the support of the Government for a strengthening of the use of and adherence to the accreditation standards and list from Ethical Clothing Australia.  We also asked for a publicly stated commitment from Government, as an employer, that it too would mandate the requirement on all Government agencies to buy local uniforms and locally manufactured personal protective equipment instead of importing them from overseas.

In a win for all, the Premier’s office advised both unions last November that the submission had been successful and would form part of the Government’s announcement of legislation in 2018 which would enshrine in an Act of Parliament, ‘Victorian Local Jobs First Bill’, the commitment to source public sector uniforms and personal protective equipment from Victorian suppliers and manufacturers.

The Bill is due to be introduced this year and once passed members will end the days of inferior, cheap and often non-OHS compliant uniforms for our members when carrying out their jobs on behalf of the Government.