Fez: Civil Initiative Calls for Eid al-Adha to Become National Day for Cleaners

A civil initiative calling for Eid al-Adha to be adopted as a national day for sanitation workers in Morocco was launched in Fez on Saturday. Its founder, Abdelbasset Igwaz, presented the project before an audience of supporters and local residents.

The founding declaration, titled the “Fez Appeal”, seeks an annual national occasion to honour cleaning staff and recognise their part in protecting public health and the environment and improving quality of life. Organisers chose Eid al-Adha because sanitation workers face an extra workload during the festival, as they keep cities, neighbourhoods and villages clean through the holiday.

Abdelbasset Igwaz said the choice also reflects the solidarity and compassion the occasion carries. He argued that the effort made by sanitation workers at this time calls for national recognition that goes beyond expressions of gratitude.

The declaration stresses that the goal is not a seasonal celebration or a passing slogan. It aims instead to build a culture of respect for these workers and to open a debate on improving their working conditions, occupational safety and social protection. Reaching this central demand, organisers said, will require dialogue and civil and institutional advocacy involving all parties concerned.

Abdelbasset Igwaz described the initiative as independent, tied to no political party, company or specific body, and owned by no individual or institution. He presented it as an open civic project, free of any affiliation.

The appeal urges national institutions, elected officials, political parties, trade unions, associations, the media, professionals and citizens to back the proposal and help publicise it. Although launched in Fez, the declaration describes the demand as national in scope, covering workers across the Kingdom’s provinces and municipalities, and notes that its success depends on wider public and institutional involvement.