EUROPA CLARITAS CHARTA

EUROPEAN CLEANLINESS CHARTER

DIRECTIVES FOR THE CO-OPERATION OF ORGANIZATIONS TO ORDER, REALIZE AND DEVELOP THE EUROPEAN CLEANLINESS

In the sense of message of the document laid by BKIK-ÉPSZÓ (Building Cleaning Trade Department of the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry) in 2004 – that established the program „2005 - Year of Professional Cleaner” – we decided firmly that we are going to safeguard the fellowship evolved among us and to promote it further. In the course of the program „2006 - Year of Competence” we took into consideration all the important issues that are going to determine the cleaning trade in the future. The three basic cornerstones of this are: a modular and job-oriented trade and examination requirement system able to comply in a flexible way with market expectations, as well as an appropriate international system of appreciation (EUROPASS); the enforcement of the principles of “Best Value” in public and market procurement; and the quality control of cleaning services undertaken according to the international standard EN 13549:2001.

On our continent of Europe extending from the Atlantic Coast to the Ural Mountains and from the North Pole to the Mediterranean Sea there several cultures that are diversified very much and where cleanliness is appreciated by different principles. It is exacerbated by limits of economics, which inspires the customers of cleanliness to make even unprincipled compromises for short-term putative advantages. 

According to all this we accept this Charter as a common document of obligation for dialogue and co-operation. The Charter designate tasks of basic importance in the sense – „2007 - Year of Connections”. The character of obligation for these tasks originate from the fact that organizations to order European Cleanliness and those to realize it accept them as compulsory for themselves. Consequently they can, with regard to their own fields – in accord with the basic text – to append it with their own contributions, and can also affix their common prospective ideas, through which they can draw up particularly their own situation and their obligations arising from it. This will set the ground for next year’s program that is going to be „2008 - Year of Co-operation”, and during which we want to bring a true European project into effect.

Round tables February 20 to 24, daily 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Yes, the VIII^th CEM is really a great opportunity. With the first general assembly of ÉPÉSZ (ASSOCIATION FOR REPRESENTATION OF INTERESTS AND TRADE OF BUILDING CLEANERS) after its establishment the national round table sequence 2007 event will be opened.

Tuesday, 20. 02. 2007. We expect everyone here who has a building cleaner certificate, be it one for a worker, a foreman or company manager. The aim of this meeting is to determine those tasks that we consider most important at present. There are two significant priorities – although, there may be more of that – the preparation of wage tariff agreement for the branch, and the drawing-up of a sample  collective agreement. Both are necessary, if we want to set the cleaning industry on safe bases. We don’t know how many skilled worker certificate there are on the market at present, but it is probable that not more than 3,000 and you can calculate with 1,000 to 1,500 more annually. This is a very serious potential possibility for the new association.

The second day (21. 02. 2007)  is for the company managers, here we have to discuss how we will have to work in a bipolar system. It has its significance in that representation of interests for employees can also be a kind of market protection, if it is done properly. The BKIK-ÉPSZÓ can be the organization where company managers can come together, and it is very important that between the two organizations – especially at the beginning – an active co-operation exists. It is not impossible that in later times interests are going to separate more conspicuously, but basic institutions will be necessary to be established. Thus it will be the second day when leaders of the industry can think over, along what kind of strategy they should establish their contacts with ÉPÉSZ, and what are those tasks that could be delegated to the organization, or how it should happen to start a cognitive co-operation with the customer side of the market. Actually, for the latter a kind of market research is needed, as today there is no working standard for the assessment of services. Of course, a lot is to be still done for it, for example, it could be practical, if in the regional Chambers cleaning trade departments were established, and that would make a ground for the founding of a National Cleaning College.

The third day (22. 02. 2007) is also a special day, as company managers meet with facility managers. This is the other dimension of the market. Here a kind of compromise is also needed, but its roots must grow out of professional grounds, not only of financial ones. The year-long working contact with HFMS (Hungarian Facility Management Society) may be perhaps a guarantee for this dialogue to start, and sooner or later an agreement will result that will be advantageous for both partners. It is very significant to make through these three days conscientiously, because it will lay the grounds for work in the next three years. Here actually also the international dialogue can start, as at the round table also Director of EFCI Andreas Lill will be present.

And what the fourth day concerns (23. 02. 2007), it is actually a look out on Europe. Essentially it will have to be drawn up here what we expect from the international association, and in which we should like to co-operate with other European national associations. That day we will have as our guests Representative of FIDEN Errol Reichel, ISSA Europe Director Mark Armitage, PCA (Polish association) Chairman Marek Kowalsky and ARC (Romanian association) Chairman György Papp Szentirmai.