ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

To mark the international Thank Your Cleaner Day last month, the two employers' organisations in Spain - AFELIN and ASPEL - launched the campaign 'Without Cleaning, There Is No Wealth', seeking to highlight the essential value of the industry to the country as a whole.

"The cleaning sector is much more than a necessary service, it is an essential pillar that ensures the hygiene of all spaces - directly impacting the quality of life and functioning of the economy," highlighted Jesús Martín, president of AFELIN.

Juan Ignacio Beltrán, ASPEL president added: "Today more than ever, the importance must be recognised of the cleaning personnel and the companies which support our services. Without them the proper upkeep of hospitals, schools, offices and other public and private spaces would not be possible - compromising health and well-being of everyone."

Both employer associations are stressing the importance urgent need to promote reforms, such as the Law of Deindexation, to ensure the viability of the industry and improve the economic situation of workers. This measure has prevented cleaning companies with government contracts from updating their contract prices in line with inflation and the labour costs arising from increases in the minimum wage or social security contributions. That has led to increasing difficulty in keeping up with escalating operating costs, resulting in losses amounting to an estimated €225 million per year.