Melbourne CBD workers urged BYO toilet paper as cleaners launch industrial action over pay row
Office workers in Melbourne's CBD have been advised to take their own toilet paper to work after cleaners launched industrial action.
Employees have stopped cleaning toilets and have refused to replace toilet paper and soap as part of their push for a pay increase.
About 300 cleaners attended a protest in the city.
Consolidated Property Services, which is the biggest cleaning contractor in the CBD and employs about 400 cleaners, has been contacted for comment.
Staff get paid about $24 an hour and United Voice union spokeswoman Jess Walsh said the cleaners wanted a 3 per cent pay rise.
"They're the people who come into buildings in the evening after most office workers have left and they do the dirty jobs that most of the rest of us don't necessarily want to do and they don't do it for a lot of money," she said.
"They're asking for a 3 per cent pay rise to keep up with the rising cost of everything and they just don't think that's too much to ask.
"So we started recommending that people do BYO toilet paper just to be on the safe side."
Ms Walsh said the cleaners have not had a pay rise in two years and have had 12 meetings with Consolidated over the past year.
She said the company was just "refusing to give them a pay rise."