A respectable university deserves more than just a clean façade
The cleaners who went on strike last week deserve appreciation and solidarity, argue Sam Hamer and Arjen Noordhof. “Think about how you can express your appreciation for a clean university in words, but above all through your actions.”
Do we value our clean workplaces, toilets and lecture theatres enough? It’s a question worth pondering, now that our colleagues went on strike last week. Many of the cleaners we see every day at the coffee machines took part and went on strike for a better collective agreement. We believe they deserve our full appreciation and solidarity. A large number of organisations, such as the trade union branches within the UvA, WOinactie, Asva Students’ Union, PSYCHinAction and Organize the UvA, agree with us.
Coffee machines
We posted a statement of solidarity on coffee machines throughout the UvA. We read out this message of support at a rally organised by the cleaners. We told them: we recognise the important work you do. You deserve respect, a fair wage and decent working conditions. They told us why they are taking action. A senior member of the FNV UvA cleaning trade union put it as follows: “We are continuing to strike today because we want to ensure a better cleaning sector – for ourselves, for our new colleagues and for those who will work as cleaners in the future. We are not violent or aggressive people looking for conflict; we are hard-working people in a vulnerable socio-economic position. We are not seeking personal gain, but a small improvement in our income and working conditions, for the benefit of all cleaners.”
“We believe that a modest improvement in our income and working conditions will not only help us cope with the effects of inflation, but will also enable us to pay for medical care and medicines when we are ill. Such an improvement will also help to sustain the cleaning sector and ensure a better future for the industry.”
“We are aware that our work and the resources we use every day can be harmful to both our physical and mental health. That is why we are calling on all our colleagues to join forces and stand up for this worthy cause. We will keep going.”
If you’re walking through the corridors today, sitting at your desk amidst the hustle and bustle of work, or studying hard for your exam in the library, spare a thought for these words. Have a chat about it with a fellow student or colleague. Ask a colleague who cleans the coffee machine about it. And perhaps also consider how you can express your appreciation for a clean university – in words, but above all through your actions.
Arjen Noordhof is a lecturer in clinical psychology; Sam Hamer is a sociologist and PhD candidate. They are both affiliated with the UvA.
