Paris endures mounting garbage due to bin worker strike in France
Trash piles up on the streets of Paris, a week into a strike by waste collection agencies, causing a nightmare for the city's residents. It's a filthy mess that attracts rats and cockroaches, lamented a Parisian on French radio.
The refuse collectors stand in opposition to the Macron government's proposals to raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64. The strike has also affected other cities like Nantes, Rennes, and Le Havre.
City districts, normally attended to by city workers, have been hit hard by the action, with fifty percent of the districts reportedly impacted. Three waste treatment plants have been blockaded, and a fourth has been partially shut down.
By Monday, the Paris authority claimed that 5,600 tonnes of waste were yet to be cleared. An analyst on Europe1 radio referred to the situation as an all-you-can-eat buffet for the city's 6 million rats, double the human population.
In districts covered by private firms, the service was running relatively normally, according to the Paris council. However, reports suggest that protestors may be trying to sabotage collections. Some private firms, like one seen on Monday night by news channel BFMTV in the 6th district, have reportedly continued collecting waste despite the strike.
The city council official, Emmanuel Grégoire, stated that the situation was complex but the authority was prioritizing public safety and security, focusing on removing food markets, ensuring bin bags don't block walkways, and maintaining pedestrian safety.
" The strike causes a change in rat behavior," expert Romain Lasseur told Le Parisien paper. "They'll scavenge in bins, reproduce there, and leave their urine and droppings. We face a concerning health risk for trash enthusiasts and the general public."
Paris' container workers are due to meet on Wednesday to decide whether to continue their action. Refuse collectors currently retire at 57 due to the challenging working conditions, but under the proposed reforms, they would have to work two more years.
Opponents of the Socialist mayor of Paris have seized on the strike as proof of an existing problem. "Anne Hidalgo promised to double the cleanup budget, and Parisians clearly see Paris becoming dirtier and dirtier," complained Rachida Dati, who runs the 7th district for the conservative Republicans.
The strike is part of wider protests in France against the government's unpopular pension reforms that are currently going through parliament.[1] The strike has been ongoing since late May or early June 2023, with no scheduled end.[1][2] It is primarily a protest against the government's proposed changes to the pension age, which would raise the age at which workers can retire with full pension benefits.[1]
This context places the refuse collection strike within the broader national dispute over pension reform and labor conditions.
[1] Agence France-Presse. (2023, June 21). French unions call for new strike action over pension reforms. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/21/french-unions-call-for-new-strike-action-over-pension-reforms
[2] Bour, B. (2023, June 22). French unions vote to intensify pension strike action. France 24. Retrieved from https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230622-french-unions-vote-to-intensify-pension-strike-action
The strike by refuse collectors in Paris, and other cities like Nantes, Rennes, and Le Havre, is a part of wider protests in France against the government's unpopular pension reforms. This action, which started in late May or early June 2023, is primarily a protest against the government's proposed changes to the pension age, aiming to raise the age at which workers can retire with full pension benefits. The strike has been ongoing, with no scheduled end, and it has been placed within the broader national dispute over pension reform and labor conditions. The situation has caused a change in rat behavior, as they're scavenging in bins, reproducing there, and leaving their urine and droppings, posing a concerning health risk for both trash enthusiasts and the general public.
