The NSW department of Finance Services and Innovation has notified United Voice, the union representing the cleaners, that employment guarantees in place since 1994 "will not be extended in the new contracts from 2018".

Over 80 per cent of the cleaners in question service state schools, and at a rally in Tamworth on Thursday hygiene levels of those schools and school communities, as well as job security, where just some of the major talking points.

Delegate and local cleaner Judith Barber said that the government wants to cut cleaning hours but is expecting the same levels of hygiene in schools.

“It is impossible to keep those hygiene standards up without certain hours in place,” Ms Barber said.

“The government’s ultimate goal is to cut costs – but there is so much unknown about it and no information coming out – we need job security put back into the contracts.” 

In the new contracts sub-contracting is being actively encouraged, although the United Voice delegates believe this only increases the chances of exploitation, as has happened in Victoria recently, while tenders have been asked to tender on a square metre basis rather than per hour.

Tenders close on December 15, before the current contract expires in June.