Remember when your mum told you to clean your room — perhaps as a ‘punishment’ or a time-out task? At first, you ignored it, but the warning was enough to get you up and start clearing the mess.

It might have felt like it took forever, and if you were asked to clean properly, which included dusting and sweeping, I can imagine how tedious those moments must have felt. But even then, the best part was knowing it was just for a day.

Now think of those who do this every single morning. They’re already at work before the city wakes up; brooms in hands, quietly walking to their starting points.

Yes, I’m talking about the sweepers and sanitation workers, people whose names we rarely know, whose presence we often overlook. And yet, they are the ones who keep our neighbourhoods, our streets, our cities clean, every single day.

This Labour Day, as we celebrate the workforce that powers our nation, let’s look beyond the polished office spaces, the sparkling floors and the commercial setups. Let’s acknowledge the workforce who clean our filth, indirectly protect our health and bring order to urban chaos.

This is a tribute to all the labourers in the world, particularly the sanitation workers, sweepers and cleaners.

More than just a broom

We all have work to do, kids and youngsters go to school, college and university, and adults head to their offices; but every place needs to be cleaned, and that job is done ‘before’ we even arrive.

Most of the time, no one pays attention to what their street looks like before and after. They take it casually, never noticing how it........

© Dawn Young Magazine