What would your mommy say? Cleaners scold student slobs

Smashed bottles flung with abandon on to the floor. Garbage tossed without regard. Stretched-thin cleaning staff at Campus Service City services are having a fit about the lazy student louts who are partying late and littering CSS campus at the University of Copenhagen.

Bottles and broken glass at the University of Copenhagen

The mess that appears over the weekend is a constant stress for employees who are left to clean up, they say.

“We are on the limit. We can no longer do our cleaning properly,” says Marianne Ager, a member of cleaning staff to Uniavisen.dk.

Trash strewn down a hallway at the University of Copenhagen

During the last round of layoffs, five people were laid off from the cleaning department, leaving only 33 employees. This means that each employee must clean 500 square meters per hour on average. Cleaning staff usually work from 04:00 to 13:30 on weekdays, but this is no longer enough time to clean up the mess left by rowdy students, they say.

The situation is made worse by the university’s new policy of being an ‘open university’ and ensuring students and staff have access to the buildings until late into the evening.

Cans, bottles and cigarette cartons left on the steps at the University of Copenhagen

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

Do you have a good story? We would like to hear from you. In the meantime, like us on Facebook for features, guides and tips on upcoming events and follow us on Twitter for links to other Copenhagen academia news stories.