The last two months the struggle of cleaners has been in the centrepiece of social movements in the Netherlands. The cleaners are among the first who are affected by the economic crisis in the Netherlands. After transportation workers, post workers and employees in subsidised jobs, the cleaners are facing wage cuts.

The budget cuts in the cleaning expenses by companies such as Philips and organizations such as the ministries and the universities directly affect the working conditions of the employees in the cleaning sector. The cleaning companies, in order to maintain their profits in the same level as before, they increased the workload and worsened the working conditions. Although most employees in the Netherlands are entitled to a paid sick-leave, the companies deny this right for the cleaners. To make things worse, the companies had eliminated the pay rises and their contribution to social security for temporary workers.

As everybody else the employees in the cleaning sector demand a decent life and proper working conditions. As everybody else they have the right to fight for their demands. Therefore hundreds of them are on strike for 40 days now. After 4 months of discussions, 7 rounds of negotiations, hundreds of small actions, 9 big demonstrations in several Dutch cities, they decided to go one step further. On Monday, 27^th February, more than 2.000 cleaners, together with hundreds of students who support their struggle, occupied Utrecht University.

Today they do the same in the VU University of Amsterdam and they have our absolute support.

We call all the working people, youth and unemployed persons to show their solidarity and support the occupation of the cleaners in order to gain their demands.

They fight for respect in the context of a systemic global crisis that deteriorates the lives of millions of people.

They fight for better working conditions and for a better life.

They fight also for us! We should fight with them!