Mass protests, strikes; garbage pile-ups continue to weigh in on Paris
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With another week of protests and strikes looming ahead, more than 5,400 tons of trash remain uncollected on the streets of Paris as of Monday.
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A view of a street where garbage cans are overflowing, as garbage has not been collected, in Paris (Reuters)
The city of lights turned into the city of garbage after strikes hit the country against President Emmanuel Macrons' proposed pension reforms that the French Senate passed on Saturday, despite massive unpopularity.
Senators passed the reforms by 195 votes to 112, bringing the reforms one step closer to becoming law.
Read more: Ignoring strikes, French Senate approves Macron's pension reform plan
With another week of protests and strikes looming ahead, more than 5,400 tons of trash remain uncollected on the streets of Paris as of Monday, according to an assessment by Paris City Hall.
The garbage is gathered around many of the city's tourist sites, including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.
“Three incineration plants outside the capital have been hit by the work stoppages that have left entire pavements covered in black bags and overflowing bins,” France 24 reported.
The bill, which caused recent civil unrest, included raising the retirement age in France from 62 to 64; the bill got a critical push forward since the French Senate approved it despite the huge protests taking place which created chaos in the transportation sector and left large piles of uncollected garbage.
“Strike action has mostly hit France’s capital, but garbage collectors in other parts of the country, such as Rennes, have also walked out,” reported The Local.
More strikes and demonstrations are yet to come as the country's eight largest unions called for walkouts to continue until Wednesday, March 15.
Garbage collectors and drivers currently retire at the age of 57, according to the powerful CGT union. They would have to work two more years under the reform plans; the plan still grants an early retirement for those who work under harsh working conditions.
Read more: Amid social unrest, streets of Paris piling up with trash
“Energy companies, railway workers, and Parisian garbage collectors remain mobilized against the reform,” Le Monde reported. “They are determined to make the anger of the French be heard and recognized. For these employees, the 'contempt' of the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, who remains deaf to the message from the streets, does not pass. They continue their renewable strike as traffic remains disrupted and trash cans pile up.”
A recent opinion poll found that 63% of French people support the protests aimed against the reforms, according to The Guardian. “However, 78% said they believed that Macron would end up getting the reform adopted.”
