The Council of States thanks the cleaning team of the Bundeshaus: they have two containers with shredded files per day

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Usually they work in the background, which many in the Federal Palace hardly notice: the cleaning ladies and men who keep the parliament building in good condition.

But now, just before Christmas, for once the focus should be on them. That’s what the Geneva SP state councilor Carlo Sommaruga (64) thinks – and has dedicated a tweet to the cleaning staff. “At six in the morning, long before the first parliamentarians arrive, the Federal Palace is cleaned by a team of dedicated women and men, most of whom have a migrant background, so that legislative work can proceed smoothly. We would like to thank you very much,” the politician wrote. He also included some photos he took of the cleaning staff on duty.

300 containers with waste

Cleaning desks, vacuuming, emptying rubbish bins, cleaning toilets: every morning and during the afternoon sessions, about ten cleaning staff are present in the Federal Palace. The work of the 246 parliamentarians, who meet four times a year for three weeks, leaves behind a lot of waste: two containers with household waste of 800 liters each, two containers with waste paper and two containers with shredded, secret files. generated each session day. That is almost 300 containers of waste per year.

But the cleaning staff is also at work outside the sessions. The committees meet all year round in the Federal Palace. It also takes time to keep the historic building in shape. The head of the cleaning team once told Radio SRF that preparations start a month before the session. The windows are cleaned, the floor is moistened – and the carvings on the ceilings, walls and furniture are dusted with brushes. (lha/oco)

Source:Blick