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Barbara Elbischger (58) has been working as a cleaner in Carinthia for more than 15 years. After primary school, secondary school and three years at a commercial college, she only worked briefly in her youth before staying at home to look after children at the age of 21. When she finally wanted to work again, she answered an advert and applied to a cleaning company – “I was accepted and from then on I was always a cleaner,” she says.
She is aware that her job is not generally one of the most popular, but she never had any reservations about this work. “It’s a job like any other,” she says. She initially worked in a shopping center – with early and late shifts – nine years ago she switched to office cleaning, with fixed working hours from Monday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. As a foreman, she is responsible for a team of nine women. It’s not a relaxation program; as Elbischger says, the pressure to do everything in the allotted time ensures that you come to work, work through it and are “finished” when you go home. “We now have a gross hourly wage of 11.50 euros – that’s certainly not overpaid for what we do,” says the Carinthian woman. The female colleagues, there are no men in “normal office cleaning”, most of them have a migrant background, which sometimes makes communication a challenge – “but if someone really wants to, it’s possible.”
Barbara Elbischger about her job as a cleaner: “a job like any other” © Barbara Elbischger
In fact, there is a shortage of staff everywhere in the industry, as the Styrian industry representative for monument, facade and building cleaners, Gerfried Kapaun, says with regard to the approximately 330 Styrian companies with full-time business (i.e. without caretakers). In total, around 60,000 people are employed as cleaners across Austria. What many people don’t know: “Cleaning is a profession, an apprenticeship, that’s called cleaning technician and goes all the way up to a master’s certificate,” emphasizes Kapaun’s Carinthian colleague in the Chamber of Commerce, state guild master Johann Tatschl.
A job with an apprenticeship qualification
The basic understanding: While house caretakers are part of the independent trade and are usually EPUs, you can only become self-employed in monument facades and building cleaning with a master’s certificate. As far as the approximately 110 Carinthian companies in this sector are concerned, as Tatschl says, an average of 50 employees per company can be assumed. “And all companies have a huge need for staff, and in some cases they can no longer process orders because there is a lack of staff,” says the industry expert.
In any case, according to Tatschl, it’s not about the money. Even if many people wouldn’t believe it, the cleaning industry pays very well. “According to the KV, a cleaner earns 2,000 euros gross for 40 hours, qualified people with an apprenticeship earn 2,500 euros gross – that’s better than many other KVs.” Payments are also often made via KV in housekeeping in hotels, for example, “because there is an urgent need there Cleaning staff” and in the special cleaning where men work.
However, only a few complete an apprenticeship. Although this is also possible on an extraordinary basis, for example at Tatschl’s “Cleaning Academy”: after at least 1.5 years of professional practice with the help of a two-week intensive course. “We need qualified employees,” emphasizes Tatschl. In public tenders for cleaning services via the Federal Buildings Administration, for example, a certain qualification of the staff is a prerequisite for the award of an order. The training ranges from a two-day practical course to various special cleaning courses and the property manager function up to master level.
“Cleaning is part of society”
When you think of cleaning, you usually first think of office and shopping areas, but in reality you are dealing with “every part of a company,” as Tatschl says: “We cover everything, from the sidewalk to the operating room, from clean room technology to mold – and fire cleaning.” In other words: “Cleaning is an essential part of society.” Nevertheless, work is preferably postponed to off-peak times, invisible to everyone, who then naturally assumes that their workplace is clean. “We are working intensively to introduce daytime cleaning; the north of Europe is already successfully demonstrating this,” says Kapaun. Tatschl adds: “We would also find more staff and better qualified ones if daytime cleaning were common.” At six in the morning, many women still do not have any care for their children. You can also argue with companies about the energy savings by working in daylight. However, daytime cleaning is still the exception.
Coming and going
The fluctuation in personnel is high, as industry representatives explain, which is also due to the fact that companies add and reduce staff depending on the order situation. On the other hand, it is also difficult with applicants who hardly speak German – there are also overqualified women who only do cleaning as a temporary measure until they find work in their actual profession.
If you think of this job as piecework, you’re wrong, as Tatschl emphasizes. There are separate Austrian standards anchored in the collective agreement that specify certain square meter performance for cleaning workers. For example, when completely cleaning an office, 180 square meters per hour is the target amount, a little more in stairwells and much less in sanitary areas. Robots will not be able to replace humans in the foreseeable future. “This is only a solution for large areas in shopping centers,” says Kapaun.
What specific steps can individuals and organizations take to demonstrate greater appreciation and respect for cleaning professionals and their work?
## Interview: Behind the Scenes of a Vital Industry – The World of Cleaning
**Introduction:**
Welcome to World Today News, where we delve into the realities of diverse professions. Today, we’re shining a light on a crucial yet often overlooked sector: cleaning. Joining us are two experts:
* **Barbara Elbischger,** a veteran cleaning professional with over 15 years of experience.
* **Johann Tatschl,** State Guild Master at the Chamber of Commerce for Monument, Facade and Building Cleaners in Carinthia.
We aim to explore the challenges, triumphs, and often-hidden complexities of this essential industry.
**Section 1: Challenging Perceptions:**
* **Moderator:** Barbara, your experience contradicts common stereotypes about cleaning. Could you share what initially drew you to this field and what has kept you dedicated for so long?
* **Moderator:** Johann, many associate cleaning with low wages and limited career prospects. How accurate is this perception, and what opportunities exist within this industry?
**Section 2: The Reality of the Workforce:**
* **Moderator:** Barbara, you lead a team mostly composed of multilingual women. What are some of the unique challenges and rewards of working with such a diverse team?
* **Moderator:** Johann, the article mentions a significant shortage of staff. What factors contribute to this shortage, and what strategies are being implemented to attract and retain qualified personnel?
**Section 3: More Than Meets the Eye:**
* **Moderator:** Johann, you highlight the diverse nature of cleaning work, from operating rooms to mold remediation. Can you elaborate on the variety of skills and specializations required within this industry?
* **Moderator:** Society often expects a clean workplace without acknowledging the effort behind it. How can we promote greater appreciation and understanding of the vital role cleaners play in our daily lives?
**Section 4: The Future of Cleaning:**
* **Moderator:** Barbara, with the emergence of robotic cleaners, do you foresee a threat to human workers in the cleaning industry?
* **Moderator:** Johann, what innovations and trends are shaping the future of the cleaning industry? How do you see its role evolving in the years to come?
**Conclusion:**
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Barbara and Johann for providing valuable insights into the world of cleaning. Their candid perspectives underscore the importance of recognizing and valuing this essential profession.
By posing these open-ended questions, we encourage a dynamic and informative conversation that sheds light on the multifaceted nature of the cleaning industry, challenging preconceived notions and highlighting the vital contributions of its dedicated workforce.
