Cleaners still afraid

Press, 21 September 1977, Page 6

Cleaners still afraid

The phantom graffiti writer has struck ag»,in at the University of Canterbury, scrawling obscene threats on the wall of the men’s lavatories on the second floor of the university’s library block. The threats were directed at female cleaners but were not seen by any of the 14 women who dean the lavatories each morning before 7 a.m. — because the women have refused to clee.n them. They are afraid of being attacked. The matter was reported to the university authorities by a student who dis-

covered them yesterday morning before talks between the authorities and the Canterbury Cleaners’ Union. The secretary of the union (Mr G. Cumming) said that the wording of the threats was worse than any of the previous graffiti, which started to appear at the end of last week. Mr Cumming said there had been frank and open discussion between the university authorities and the union, and he would report back to the cleaners this morning on several proposals. He said it was believed

that the threats were being made by a person who might be in need of psychiatric help.

The police have not been called in.

The university has cleaned off the words on each occasion and last week put up blackboards and supplied chalk. The blackboards are being used, but not, apparently, by the person who made the threats. Mr Cumming said the award provided for the cleaning of men’s lavatories by women cleaners provided the lavatories were not open at the time.