STREET sweepers out in all weathers keeping Merton's pavements clean are complaining about working conditions.
One has even contacted The Post pleading for donations of hats, scarves and gloves.
The workers, who face up to eight hours a day in the cold and snow, say they need seasonal clothing to do their jobs properly.
Each of the borough's 110 street sweepers gets a Merton council sweatshirt, T-shirt, coat and trousers to see them through the working day. They claim traffic wardens get a change of clothes for summer and winter.
Staff told The Post there were problems with other gear, including rubber gloves that stained hands and let in the cold.
One sweeper, who asked not to be named, said: "If you work out-side you expect to get ill sometimes but you also expect to have the clothes for the job. Traffic wardens get two uniforms, it's the inequality that gets to you.
"We've got the same uniform for both seasons.
The trousers are so thin you can watch the TV through them.
"The council has got a duty of care, we do an important job and don't deserve to be treated like this."
Sweepers also blasted the lack of facilities to shelter in cold weather and a lack of bathrooms - something provided to Merton traffic wardens as a matter of course.
The average street sweeper takes home 900 a month after tax and has an eight-hour working day, starting at 6.30am.
Workers must also buy their own mobile phones to keep in touch with the depot.
Rosemary McLoughlin, branch secretary of Unison Merton, said: "It can hardly be considered 'suitable' that the road sweepers are expected to wear the same type of clothing in all weathers.
"They are expected to wear the same type of clothing in wet or below-freezing temperatures as they are wearing in the height of summer."
She said not all sweepers had easy access to toilets and some had been "caught short" on duty.
She said it been brought to management's attention on many occasions and ignored.
Sutton council street sweepers have access to protective trousers, shirts, fleece jumpers, bomber jackets and full waterproof suits.
Brian McLoughlin (no relation to Rosemary), Merton's waste operations manager, said: "Our street cleansing staff are given suitable items of clothing when the weather is warm and in cold conditions.
"When they begin work on a particular patch they are given a list of all the public conveniences to them and in the event of working on a patch that they are not familiar with."
He added that each patch manager had a mobile phone and that they were "exploring the option" of providing cleaners with handsets.
* A sweeper contacted The Post with a plea for donations of spare hats, scarves and gloves.
Send your donations to Street Sweepers, Garth Road Depot, Garth Road, Morden, SM4 4NJ.
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