The trash buildup in Paris has now sparked health concerns
Tons of stinking garbage and rubbish have piled up on the streets of Paris as sanitation workers continue their strike against pension reform, BBC reported. Notably, the city's garbage collectors have been on strike since March 6 over President Emmanuel Macron's proposals to raise the pension age from 62 to 64.
In photos and videos shared on social media, garbage bags could be seen piling up on the city's normally picturesque streets, forming shoulder-high piles of waste. Till Monday, more than 5,600 tonnes of uncollected garbage was piling up on the roads of the city. Three waste treatment sites have been blockaded and a fourth partially closed.
Watch the videos here:
The trash buildup in Paris has now sparked health concerns among Parisians, with many fearing that a rat invasion is imminent. "It's dirty, it attracts rats and cockroaches," complained one Parisian on French radio.
"The strike triggers a change in rat behaviour. They'll rummage in bins, reproduce there, and leave their urine and droppings. We have a worrying health risk for refuse collectors and the general population." specialist Romain Lasseur told Le Parisien newspaper.
Here are some other pictures:
Not just Paris, cities like Rennes, Le Havre and Nantes, Rennes have also been affected by the strike.
The reform would increase the age of retirement for garbage collectors. They currently retire at the age of 57 because of difficult working conditions and under the reforms they would have to work for two more years.
According to the daily Le Parisien, the strike will last at least until Wednesday, when representatives from trade unions are set to vote on whether to continue striking.