Cleaners on strike, court staff forced to clean up

KUALA LUMPUR: Judges, magistrates and other staff members at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex have had to carry out their own cleaning work, which includes sweeping floors and cleaning toilets, after some 20 cleaners went on strike since the fasting month.

A source said this situation should not have happened because it was learnt that the Federal Government had paid the cleaning company.

It is understood that the contract with the cleaning company ends only in December.

The workers staged a strike allegedly because they have not received their salaries as promised.

“This is confusing to all parties as cleaning works must be carried out frequently,” said the source.

“Judges, magistrates and officers have to go down to the ground in their formal attires to clean toilets or sweep the floors at their offices or the lobby and sidewalks.

“To overcome this problem, a schedule had to be made, rotating the duties of cleaning toilets and sweeping floors. Almost all staff members at the complex had to roll up their sleeves to do all these since May.”

All those involved, according to the source, had to bring their own mops, brooms, brushes, pails and soap to facilitate cleaning works because these equipment could not be found, believed to have been kept by the workers at a different place.

It is learnt that Chief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum is aware of this issue and has had to courteously request court officers to attend a gotong-royong scheduled for today.

Asked on what staff members at the complex thought of this, the source said most were not happy because they were busy with their own court duties.

“They have to do this because if the toilets or the surrounding area is dirty, surely the court management and the Federal Government will be blamed.

“It may also turn into a political issue.

“This work is not degrading, but for staff members here, this is not part of their duties because a company has been appointed to carry out cleaning works.

“This problem will drag on if the cleaning company does not solve it.

“What is certain is that this week, the court complex will be ‘merry’ with staff members who have to ‘work’ in the gotong-royong programme.”