On 12 and 13 June, more than 50 trade unionists, employers, clients, politicians, researchers and cleaning machine manufacturers came together to explore the opportunities and challenges of implementing daytime cleaning.
Hayat El-Hore, a cleaner and delegate from ACV-CSC in Belgium, opened the conference with powerful remarks: “Daytime cleaning isn’t just a different way of organising things – it’s a real improvement in our quality of life.”
Supporting messages followed from Gabi Bischoff, MEP for the Socialists & Democrats (via video); Rudi Kennes, MEP for The Left; and Avril McCarthy, newly elected President of the EFCI. In her video contribution, McCarthy highlighted the role of daytime cleaning in gaining broader recognition for the sector. She stressed that feasibility studies, developed in cooperation with contractors and workers, are essential to making the transition a success.
A panel discussion featuring Anna Farquharson (ISS Facility Services), Helge Alt (Puhastusekspert, Estonia), and Joost Engelaar (ABVV-FGTB ACCG, Belgium) demonstrated wide-ranging support for daytime cleaning. Panelists weighed the most compelling arguments for and against its implementation and discussed operational challenges workers, companies and clients face in transitioning.
Participants also discussed how to address the needs of workers who prefer evening or night shifts — a concern echoed later by Rickmer Roscher from ArbeitGestalten GmbH in his contribution on training requirements. Since the first conference in 2023, governments, unions, and employers have taken meaningful steps toward promoting and advancing daytime cleaning.
Zeynep Bicici, IG BAU and President of UNI Europa Property Services, reported on the German Labour Ministry-funded project that supports collaboration between her union and the employer organisation BIV to promote daytime cleaning. Dr Tobias Scheu presented findings from the accompanying government-funded research. Jon Samuelsen shared updates on the Clean Awareness project — a collaboration between the employers’ organisation NHOSH and the Norwegian General Workers Union.
Research by both employers and unions points in the same direction. Katia Marembert (FEP/FARE PROPRETE) presented a recent study showing that over 70% of office employees support daytime cleaning. Alessia Mora, Project Coordinator for Property Services and Care at UNI Europa, shared findings from the Working Against the Clock report and previewed results from the yet-to-be-published EU-funded Fair Working Time Matters project. Meanwhile, François-Xavier Devetter presented insights from the EU-funded PROCURFAIR project on socially responsible public procurement in the cleaning sector.
A notable development was the increased participation of clients. Robert Gruening (Kommunale Immobilien Jena, Germany) and Tim Grauls (University of Ghent, Belgium) shared how they ensure fair working hours and family-friendly schedules for cleaners — despite constraints posed by EU public procurement directives. Participants were eager to even get more clients to participate in next year’s conference.
Mark Bergfeld, Director of Property Services at UNI Europa, closed the first day by highlighting key levers of change. These include holding governments accountable for fair working conditions, training commercial and sales staff in cleaning companies, and encouraging unions in client companies and institutions to advocate for cleaners’ rights.
During the first day, participants submitted proposals on paper, which were presented and discussed the following day at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). This open forum laid the foundation for future alliance activities, which will include a podcast series, FAQ sheets tailored to different client segments, and additional communication tools.
EFCI and UNI Europa will also follow up on their joint statement with a new social partner project on daytime cleaning. A follow-up conference of the alliance is planned for June 2026.
For more information, please contact mark.bergfeld@uniglobalunion.org.