CC Tuakee: Some senior citizen cleaners just not fit for the job

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

Some cleaners just not fit for the job Letter from Francis Han Jit Kwang 05:55 AM May 11, 2009

Cleaning jobs require people who are physically fit.

I am sure employers would like to hire more senior citizens, but some of the people in this group are definitely unfit and hence unable to do a good job of cleaning toilets and housing estates and sweeping public roads.

In the past, roads, hawker centres and estates were cleaner. The underlying cause (towards the reverse) is the privatisation programmes.

We outsource parking attendant jobs, not to mention those for estate cleaning, road cleaning and for the cleaning of hawker centres.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Ministry of the Environment should keep a close watch on the type of people hired to do these jobs.

Companies contracted to undertake these jobs should not just fill vacancies without taking into account the physical ability, fitness and interests of candidates to do a good job.

The NEA should set minimum standards and criteria for cleaning jobs.

I am not against employing seniors.

I am 63 years old and fitter and stronger than most of the senior citizens I know doing such jobs.

Yet I know I would not be able to do a good job as a cleaner. How can we then expect standards of hygiene to be raised, if we hire old folks?



The writer is a former chairman of Kaki Bukit Community Centre Management Committee.

 

[chinkangkor]

With the influx of huge foreign population into S'pore, of course the standard of cleanliness will drop, especially most of these are from third world countries and many with bad social habits like spitting, littering etc

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

Let’s try to be more caring Letter from William Tay 05:55 AM May 13, 2009I REFER to “Some cleaners just not fit for the job” (May 11).

I am not sure whether Mr Francis Han has an issue with our elderly citizens working as cleaners or whether they are not fit to work at any form of “physical” jobs.

Mr Han should get real - what other job options or choice do they have?

Besides, many of the cleaning jobs mentioned are in fact not performed by elderly citizens but rather by young/middle-aged able bodied individuals. As for old folk who take on cleaning tasks, many of them handle lighter duties like sweeping, cleaning toilets, washing dishes, et cetera.

I have befriended many of them; they are very warm people despite their plight.

Herein lies the issue that many of us tend to overlook or pretend does not exist - do you think they really want to work if they have a choice?

When I return from business trips, I cannot help but notice the elderly folk who work as “trolley captains”, “taxi captains”, “toilet captains”, etc.

I guess many of them are in their 70s. They have nice titles but I do not think these enhance their pride as senior citizens.

Many foreign friends have commented to me: “Are Singaporeans so proud as to display to the whole world that you cannot or do not take care of the old? Or are you just being grossly uncaring?”

Many elder people may not be as fortunate as Mr Han. Instead of setting another standard we need to comply with, can we be a bit caring for a change?

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

Not as quick, but elderly cleaners have better technique

I REFER to Han Jit Kwang's letter, "Cleaners must be physically fit" (May 11).
I disagree with his suggestion that 'cleaning jobs require cleaners who are physically fit'. While cleaning jobs may be long and arduous, being physically fit does not correlate with a job well done.

Of course there will be instances where physical stamina is needed, especially in busy places like hawker centres.

However, there are some cleaning jobs that do not require such a high level of physical fitness.

I have worked at several places where the cleaning staff are elderly. They may not be as quick, but what they lack in speed, they make up in the desire to do a good job and the experience of knowing how to get rid of dirt.

Their wisdom and experience may enable them to do the job far more quickly than a younger cleaner due to their technique.

Unless the writer can provide statistics that show a correlation between age and poor performance, we should not be discriminatory. Give these senior citizens a chance.

Julian Sng