ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Police in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro - where the Olympic Games are to be held in August - have staged a protest about their poor working conditions.

Non-functioning toilets and an absence of cleaners were among the key gripes of 300 police who stood on the steps of the Rio de Janeiro state assembly to raise their concerns.

"At the stations there is no one to come in to clean and some don't have a water supply anymore, which means the toilets are not functioning," said one officer. "Members of the public bring toilet paper in to us."

The officers claim to have been "abandoned" by authorities ahead of the Olympics. One is still awaiting this month's salary and says he was only paid half his salary last month. Meanwhile, fuel shortages are restricting the use of police cars.

Brazil's economy shrank 3.8 per cent last year, its worst recession in 25 years. The International Monetary Fund is predicting a similar contraction this year.

Acting governor Francisco Dornelles has declared a state of financial disaster ahead of the Olympics in a bid to manage the area's scarce resources. This will enable the Rio state government to change its budgetary priorities, allowing officials to use exceptional measures to pay costs related to the Olympics.

Toilet paper shortages have plagued Brazil's neighbour Venezuela for some years, with householders buying loo rolls on the black market or queuing at supermarkets for hours in order to secure a supply.