Physical or Psychological Complaints
Three in four hausmeisterservice Aachen cleaners (74 percent) say they experience physical or psychological complaints as a result of work. This is evident from a poll by ACV Voeding en Diensten at around 500 cleaners, following the Cleaning Day today. The union argues in favor of recognizing cleaning as a heavy occupation.
It appears that physical complaints such as back and neck pain are very common among cleaners. 38 percent of the respondents already had an industrial accident, and in 42 percent of the cases the cleaner was more than a month disabled.
Health Issue: Causing Early Death
“Cleaner runs up to 90% more risk of early death than teacher”
High operating pressure
Aircraft cleaners, in turn, complain about the particularly high workload. “We have to clean every aircraft at a record pace”, testifies Samira, cleaning lady in Zaventem. “On paper, every type of aircraft must be cleaned with a certain number of people, but in reality we are never provided with sufficient staff.”
On average, the employees surveyed indicate that they feel able to perform their current job up to the age of 57.6. “All cleaning professions are physically demanding,” says Pia Stalpaert, chairman of ACV Food and Services. “In addition, a lot of health risks are associated with the profession. Not only our research shows that, a recent study by VUB sociologist Laura Van den Borre shows that cleaners more often die of lung diseases. ”
Recognition as a Heavy Occupation
Stalpaert wants cleaning to be recognized as a difficult profession. “You cannot maintain cleaning until your 67th birthday.” ACV Voeding en Diensten also supports a four-day week for older employees without loss of income and an extension of the time credit, without any negative consequences for the pension.
Today, more than 200,000 cleaning women and men in Belgium are in the spotlight. This year the focus is on a number of less known cleaning professions: industrial cleaning, cleaning of aircraft, trains and subways and waste collection.
