"If my thread under the main heading was thought through it is actually a criticism of the cleaning management." You seem to be worming your way out of an apology for your poorly thought through post George. If "There is nothing wrong or inferior or demeaning by being a cleaner" why are street sweeping and litter picking used regularly as a way of demeaning celebrities who get into trouble? Why are delinquent teenagers required to clean public spaces as a punishment? I also deserve and expect an apology for this: "If you are not concerned, then perhaps that says something about your standards, and unawareness of cleaning standards in some other parts of London or the better standards we had in Ealing under the last administration." How do you know what my standards are? My standards were set by a mother who was a housekeeper in Knightsbridge and by a father who worked for the DSS. Standards of cleanliness in Ealing are the responsibility of all those live in the borough. I've lived in Greenford for over twenty years and I have noticed the difference but I would point out that those who drop litter are responsible for the litter problem, not the management or the people they manage. The stinking rancid burger wrappers that end up by the front door of the office block I clean are a real concern for me as they have probably had rats feeding from them, dribbling urine. The mouse droppings that are present thanks to someone else's poor standards of cleanliness are also of concern to me. If I am not very careful when I deal with them I could become seriously ill. On an average weekday I clean twenty toilets. I wipe off excrement, blood, urine, vomit and other unidentifiable stuff. In the process I risk exposure to hepatitis (a serious problem for cleaners who have to deal with sanitary bins), E-coli and assorted other nasties. You may not have noticed, George, that it has become a habit for some to scrape the freshly picked contents of a nostril on the nearest surface - think about that the next time you touch a door handle or the button on a road crossing. I've noticed because it's part of my job to remove them from walls, light switches and urinals (hope you're not reading this over breakfast George). I also breathe in lots of chemicals that are supposed to eliminate bugs but are as much of a risk to me. I have to buy disposable gloves to wear inside the cheap ones that are provided because their linings bring me out in a rash. I get dermatitis on my hands, they are often itchy and covered in weeping pustules. If they aren't it's because I've managed to get on top of the "itch/scratch" cycle for a while, until it starts again. My nails often split along their length because furniture polish dries them out. I have to work quickly because jobs are often tailored to fit the amount a client is prepared to spend rather than the time it should take. The goal posts get moved all the time and there is nothing you can do about it. What began as a two hour job cleaning the communal areas of an office building with a colleague several years ago is now a two hour job I do on my own. The problem is that it now takes more than two hours. The consequence is that I either leave things out and risk criticism or clean everything and do unpaid overtime. Trying to do it in two hours means cracking elbows against doors, tripping over cables, etc. Are you really surprised that I feel like a victim George? If I was paid a reasonable amount for it or had training/qualifications for it (to make it a "profession" in your eyes) and was treated with more respect by people like you, George, that might not be the case.
Albertina McNeill ● 4198d