Victimised, overworked and underpaid school cleaners feel like second-class citizens

Wintress White

Five days a week, 50-year-old Patsy (not her real name) goes to work and toils for six hours, sometimes more, and at the end of the month she takes home $35,000 which is not sufficient to sustain her and her minor son.

In another region, 55-year-old Carol (not her real name) toils at the same job, she takes home $45,000 but this is also not enough to support her.

Both women are sweeper/cleaners who for years have been short-changed by successive governments. They all toil for five days a week and are paid varying salaries, which are below the minimum wage of $50,000. Back in 2013 a PPP/C Cabinet made a decision which called for these workers to be paid the government minimum wage which at the time was $35,000.