Get The Facts

We are grateful for the opportunity to address people’s concerns, as we share the same concerns.

We acknowledge that there is a history of organisations in the past who haven’t got things right, who have made poor decisions which have seriously impacted the very people that they were trying to support.

As an organisation, Blueline Laundry is dedicated to complete transparency about how we operate and what we do. We are not claiming that we have always got things 100% right, but since our foundation in 1893, our objective has been to improve the lives of people experiencing disadvantage through meaningful employment.

Because we are an employer of vulnerable people, naturally questions can arise if any of these issues apply to Blueline Laundry.

The following is the factual response to commonly raised questions and rumours.

1. The organisation exploits or takes advantage of people with a disability

People with a disability thankfully have access to more systems of protection, supports and recourse than ever before, and the Disability Royal Commission demonstrates an appetite for continual improvement in this area.

Blueline Laundry takes our responsibilities as a disability employer extremely seriously. We are held to the highest standards by several external agencies and are regularly audited for compliance with all regulatory and legal obligations.

Registered NDIS provider. Blueline is certified by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. The regulated standards safeguard those working with a disability and protecting the rest of our workforce, their families and communities.
ISO9001 Certification. Blueline is the only laundry in Tasmania to achieve the quality management standard ISO9001 certification across all our sites.
Registered Charity. The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission require Blueline to submit an independently audited financial report annually.
Fair Work Commission. Blueline Laundry pays every worker in compliance with all government regulations and Fair Work Australia’s award structures.
Work Safe Tasmania. Blueline contracts both external and internal consultants and management systems to ensure compliance with all relevant Work Health and Safety Acts and Regulations.

Where to find out more information:
https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/awards/awards-summary/ma000103-summary
https://worksafe.tas.gov.au/topics/laws-and-compliance

2. People with a disability are paid below minimum award wage.

Blueline Laundry pays every worker in compliance with all government regulations and Fair Work Australia’s award structures.

People with a disability are employed under the Supported Employment Services Award [MA000103]. Their performance is assessed annually, and paid in accordance to their performance and support requirements. Put simply, if they work at a 50 per cent capacity, they would earn 50 per cent of the base level award rate.

It is important to note that the assessment process measures performance against competencies that would be required in open employment, not only productivity but other obligations such as work health and safety and organisational procedures.

These competency requirements can be a barrier to open employment because of the risks to employers. The supported employment structures enable people with a disability to access workplace supports that mitigate the risks and help keep them employed.

We appreciate the equality perspective that all people with a disability should be paid the same wage as anyone else, and we share the hope for more equitable wage assessments in the future.

It is core to our Code of Conduct that we respect the wishes of our employees. For those who aspire to open employment, we provide professional and personal development pathways that build resilience and independence.

Many people working with a disability have personal reasons to retain access to Government support such as the DSP, Health Care cards and Rent Assistance. For those who make this choice, we help them to keep their work hours below the Government support cut-off thresholds and within the funding requirements of their NDIS Plan.

There is work underway by the Fair Work Commission regarding the supported wage. As part of the 4 yearly review, the Supported Employment Services Award 2020 is being reviewed by a Full Bench of the Commission, and Blueline is committed to full compliance with any future recommendations and decisions.

3. People with a disability are treated as “slave labour”

“Slave labour” is a term associated with the worst types of human rights violations. Blueline is committed to ensuring that our operations and supply chain are free from modern slavery.

Since the Modern Slavery Act (2018) became operational on January 1, 2019, each of the agencies and their own governance structure at management and board level has developed approaches to comply with the Modern Slavery Act under the Archdiocese governance and risk management framework.

4. It’s a “sweatshop”

Historically, people with intellectual, physical or mental disabilities have found work through sheltered workshops or Australian Disability Enterprises, known as ADE’s.

In the traditional ADE enclave model, the pay was generally low, in some cases only a few dollars an hour, the work was often monotonous and the people were isolated. This has led to the reputation of ADE’s as “sweatshops”.

Blueline Laundry does not operate as a sheltered workshop or enclave model. We are a fully integrated workplace where people with a disability work alongside and learn from people without disabilities, and every member plays a vital and valued role in delivering high quality laundry services.

Blueline Laundry is committed to empowering all staff to achieve their full potential, and provides comprehensive training with the opportunity to gain nationally recognised qualifications.

Our employment choices enable Blueline to employ 2.5 times more people than a privately operated commercial laundry of equivalent size. We choose to focus on people above automation because of the benefits of employment, including:

building resilience, independence, and self-worth
improving health and wellbeing
strengthening social connections and community involvement

5. The Magdalene/Good Shepherd Laundries have a history of misery and abuse.

It is true that if you search online, you will find stories from people who have experienced suffering and hardships in Magdalene or Good Shepherd laundries all over the world.

In 1893 Blueline Laundry was founded by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Mount St. Canice in Hobart, Tasmania. The genesis of the organisation was to overcome misery and abuse by providing caring support for disadvantaged women and young girls. This goal remains part of the business today, where our mission is to support people who face barriers to employment.

We do not try to cover up or turn away from our history, we embrace it. Being a long running organisation brings the benefits of lived and learned experience, as our history helps to inform the decisions that we make today.

For example, the foundation of supporting disadvantaged women has informed the focus on supporting women (over 50% of our employees) in the workplace today. We have a program to supply free female hygiene products, and have been granted a company-wide training program titled “Supporting Women to Succeed”.

Having survived the Spanish flu and other pandemics throughout the last 100+ years has meant we were better prepared when COVID-19 emerged, and informed our business continuity plans.

The boiler explosion of 1974 was a tragic industrial accident that means we will never forget to focus on our safety culture.

6. The organisation is run or owned by the Catholic Church

Blueline Laundry is not a privately owned organisation, and is not owned by the Catholic Church or governed by the Catholic Church.

It is a membership-based organisation run by a CEO who reports to a predominantly independent Board of volunteer members.

As an agency of the Archdiocese of Hobart, we are able to partner with other Catholic Agencies to deliver positive social outcomes for disadvantaged Tasmanians. For example, Safe Haven Hub, part of CatholicCare Tasmania, provides training and employment mentoring for refugees and recent migrants that creates pathways to employment at Blueline Laundry.

7. The organisation does not have to do financial reporting

As a registered Charity, under the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission rules Blueline is required to submit an independently and externally audited financial report annually, and we are fully compliant with these requirements.

The ACNC may approve information be withheld from the Charity Register in certain circumstances. In the case of Blueline, commercially sensitive information is withheld because we compete against other private laundry operators who are not subject to the same regulatory requirements (HR, IR, and reporting) as Blueline.

8. The organisation is tax free

Entity Name “THE BLUELINE LAUNDRY INC” ABN 77 795 370 902 is a Public Benevolent Institution endorsed to access tax concessions.

Open invitation

We welcome all questioning, and all feedback. Should this article fail to address your concerns, please get in touch.

We also extend an open invitation to any member of the general public, media and government representatives to come for a tour of our facilities. You can visit either Hobart or Launceston, where you can experience a diverse, integrated workforce in action.

To request a tour, please phone Hobart on 03 6278 8299 or Launceston on 03 6344 5822 or email info@blueline-laundry.com