Street Cleaners In Ramadan

Muna Al-Fuzai

Are you kidding ? What is the reason behind having street cleaners working on the streets all day long in this heat during the hottest month of the year while they are fasting?

What are they looking for that is so valuable and what is it worth to be removed? Why don’t they start their working hours in the evening? This is outrageous and really abusive, I believe. I wonder why no one is objecting to this?

No one is saying anything  against this, and while many Muslims are rushing to the mosques to fulfill their prayers,  asking Allah for mercy for their brothers in Syria and many countries around the world, they simply turn a blind eye on their Muslim brothers on the main street next door ?

Why is no one calling for action against the cleaners’ companies who force their workers to clean in this heat? These people are not managers who work in air-condition offices or use air-conditioned cars. These are human beings, not less than any of us who get forced to take the trash from the streets while not being able to drink or eat, otherwise they would be arrested and spend a month in prison if they do not pay the fine, which is 100 kd, or do both and still get jailed. What do you call this but abuse and cruelty? Because I fail to find any other name for this.

I believe these companies must be punished with large fines due to their ill behavior against humans, who are forced to work under the sun while fasting and are not allowed to drink or eat for about fifteen hours. I also think human NGOs must stand up for those poor workers . They surely need our support and help.

In Kuwait, when the temperature reaches fifty all office employees are required by law to stop working, to leave their offices at once and sometimes this matter does happen, even when many don’t notice that heat because their offices are air-conditioned, though those street cleaners don’t enjoy this luxury as they are grilled, if not fried.

This Ramadan is about to be over and I doubt new laws in this regard, or action, will be taken. But, this needs to be said this year and continue ringing the bell against the violators for years to come.

By Muna Alfuzai
Muna@kuwaittimes.net

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