Het Schoonmakersparlement

Cleaning workers in the Netherlands are sick and tired of being underpaid and undervalued. Therefore, they established a special representative body to defend their interests in 2010.

In 2010, the Netherlands faced the longest strike since 1933. Dutch cleaners made headlines as they went on strike. They subsequently established their own representative body, composed of 75 cleaning workers who from then on represented their interests.

Het Schoonmakersparlement (the cleaning workers’ parliament), directed by Leon Verdonschot, follows three cleaners (Nadine, Tim and Khadija) at work, at home and during discussions and actions, as they try to obtain a new collective labour agreement. A unique documentary about true emancipation.

Het Schoonmakersparlement has been selected for the Dutch Movies Matter competition.