They started in September 2018. They took 283 days on strike. Cleaners (almost all men) who were engaged in clearing the street were required to bridge the wage gap. And they did. With the agreement signed, the cleaning services of courts and police stations (almost all women) were satisfied. Today is the day when they do not charge the risk and toxicity supplement that would affect the wage hike.

They are at work risk. Cleaners do not know if people infected with the coronavirus pass through the courts and police units. On several occasions, like workers in nursing homes and health centers, they have worked without a protective suit. These workers have recalled that, just like road cleaners are working hard on coronavirus disinfection, women are also doing so in courts and police stations, but without charge of any surcharges.

The cleaners who went on a 283 day strike to bridge the wage gap say this: “We will continue to fight, denouncing the situation that we live in all the conquered areas. We have a goal: to stop being invisible.”

As part of the strike, Nekane Zabala, a cleaner at the Hernani police station, reported her situation and demands in a talk organized by Argia at the Kaxilda library in Donostia. Here you have your words collected in the blog of Estitxu Eizagirre and in this other video made by Eneritz Arzallus.

The ELA trade union asks for tests for cleaners

The union has denounced that the Basque Government’s Department of Security tests its workers, while it does not take into account the outsourced cleaning workers or the auxiliary service staff. On May 8, the Security Department announced serological tests to detect COVID-19 to all members of the Ertzaintza.