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Tenants Maggie Preston, Nell Gaunt, James Moran, Dorine Bowan, Robert Lanwford, Lennie Rodgie and Valentinas Phyllios. ‘They may as well give us a uniform,’ said one. |
Estate’s sweep-up brigade stage protest strike
ELDERLY tenants who say their estate is so dirty they have to clean it themselves have downed brushes in protest.
The residents of Delancey Studios, in Delancey Street, Camden Town, are fed up doing jobs they pay a council caretaker to do.
When grass appears through paving stones, leaves collect on the car park and wood chips spread across the communal square, pensioners, including two aged 91 and 87, clear up the mess daily.
Two women in their 80s and a sprightly 70-year-old regularly clean the communal balcony and keep watch for broken safety lights.
But now the residents, who call themselves Delancey Street Clean Sweepers Organisation, have had enough.
Tenants’ and Residents’ Association chairman Lennie Rodgie, who has organised a petition to Camden Council, said: “Most people are disabled or old. We shouldn’t have to do the job a caretaker is paid to do.
“They are using us as volunteers. They may as well give us a uniform.
“I have severe epilepsy. People come to me because they think I’m strong but I can’t take it any more so I said we’re on strike.”
Tenants want to know how many hours their caretaker is expected to work and what jobs he should do. Dorine Bowan, 91, said: “We have to sweep every morning, otherwise when my daughter visits she’ll do it. I don’t want that.”
Neighbour Maggie Preston said: “I’m not cleaning any more. The stairs used to be hosed down every week but not any more. The lights are never checked. We have to report the broken ones ourselves.”
A council press official said: “The caretaker’s duties have been openly discussed with tenants and we’re happy to share them.
“The block is well kept and clean. In response to residents’ concerns we will be very closely monitoring the areas in the next few weeks. However, we wouldn’t want to ban people from sweeping outside their home if they wanted to.”
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