The Municipal Communal Services Establishment provided us with a response to the note concerning the maintenance of cleanliness in stairwells. We publish the full text, thanking the Director for taking the matter seriously:
- In response to the press note submitted to us with the letter dated 23 September 1993,
The Municipal Housing Management Establishment respectfully informs you: Each cleaner employed by our Establishment is responsible for 12–14 stairwells in buildings of 3–4 storeys.
The duties of this group of employees include, among other things: – daily sweeping of stairwells, pavements, squares and estate roads,
- washing stairwells at least once a month,
- tending the greenery around the buildings.
In order to strengthen cleaners’ work discipline and achieve reasonably good results in maintaining order and cleanliness in the buildings and their surroundings, a system of daily inspections was introduced. Employees supervising the cleaners’ work inspect individual areas, after which meetings are held with all the cleaners. During these meetings, the cleaners’ work is assessed, taking into account information and reports received from residents. Employees who fail to perform their duties properly are subject to sanctions in the form of bonus deductions and disciplinary penalties.
This year, bonuses were deducted from 15 cleaners for improper performance of their duties, while nine were dismissed. The cleaning profession is associated with relatively low prestige, which means that, to put it mildly, people unaccustomed to solid work apply for these positions. When sanctions are imposed, consideration is also given to the fact that cleaners have relatively large areas to cover, meaning a large number of stairwells and properties to clean, while increasing employment is not possible due to the establishment’s difficult financial situation.
The Establishment’s management can respond only to specific reports concerning the improper sanitary condition of a stairwell, whereas the content of the submitted press note does not indicate in which buildings or when the stairwells were improperly cleaned.
(The letter was signed by Director Ryszard Czarniecki, MSc Eng).
From the editorial office: Please take an interest in the stairwell at, for example, 6 Rynek Street.