PETALING JAYA: While healthcare workers and members of the security forces were given special allowances for their services in countering the Covid-19 outbreak, another crucial segment of frontliners claimed they were left out in the economic stimulus package announced last week.
Hospital sanitation workers or cleaners tasked with upkeeping hygiene and disposal of contaminated materials are disheartened that their services, which put them on the same risk platform as healthcare staff, were not acknowledged by the government.
The National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services (NUWHSAS) expressed disappointment yesterday over the lack of recognition given to hospital cleaners.
“Cleaners and support staff are also frontliners who are making sacrifices and placing themselves at risk of infection. Why are only doctors and other medical staff considered as frontliners when cleaners are uniting with them and assisting in overcoming this difficult situation? Sanitation staff are national heroes too for the frontline role they undertake,” NUWHSAS executive secretary M. Sarasvathy said.
“Why this discrimination against blue-collar workers? We urge the government to grant them the RM600 special allowance which is provided to doctors and nurses.”
She said there are about 20,000 sanitation staff working in hospitals nationwide, and about 80% are women.
Sarasvathy also alleged that cleaning and support staff have not been equipped with sufficient protection gear such as aprons, gloves, face masks and PPEs (personal protective equipment).
“This goes to show their employers are not being responsible in ensuring the safety of their staff although they are also frontliners in the midst of this pandemic,“ she said, adding that there are five principal contractors supplying cleaners to hospitals nationwide.
Sarasvathy said prior to the privatisation of hospital sanitation staff in 1996, the workers were government employees.
She said following privatisation, they were hired as contract staff and were put on minimum wage and benefits.
