Since the street sweepers went on strike against liberal President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular pension reforms, tens of thousands of tons of rubbish have accumulated on the streets of Paris. The calculation is made by the prefecture of the French capital.
Garbage disposal has been on strike since Monday (6th), and the city’s waste incineration plants have been closed.
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Dumpsters overflow and piles of sacks impede passersby. The sidewalks of Grands Boulevards, an avenue that brings together major department stores like the luxurious Galerie Laffayete, are now lined with rubbish.
social security reform
The pension reform, passed without a vote in the French Congress, will increase the legal retirement age from 62 to 64. It also changes the rules to allow the retiree to have their full retirement.
The government resorted to Article 49.3 of the Constitution to give the “pen”. And the Public Security Secretariat forced the garis to return to work but the category holds the mobilization.
An opinion poll conducted in February shows that 69% of French people are against the reform.
Public cleaners demand dialogue with the government, which remains inflexible about any kind of negotiation.
protests
This Saturday (18th), protests were again recorded across France, bringing together thousands of people spontaneously or at the call of union headquarters.
In Paris and Nantes, protesters burned bins and clashed with police 76 people were arrested.
Fear of radicalization prompted authorities to ban any gathering in the Place de la Concorde area next to the Assembly of Deputies in central Paris.
Garbage affects restaurants and shops
On the banks of the Seine, rubbish blocks the view of NotreDame. In order to look at the famous cathedral, you need a certain level of abstraction.
Tourists want to see the Eiffel Tower from the impressive Esplanade Trocadero, but when they step off the subway, they first have to go through a wall of plastic bags.
Due to the strike of street sweepers and garbage collectors in the city, garbage cans can no longer hold all the garbage. Image: BENOIT TESSIER/Portal
In the center, the onceromantic alleys are littered with boxes and cardboard, sometimes with spoiled food.
The accumulation of rubbish has changed habits even in the traditional cafes of Paris.
“People don’t want to be on the terrace anymore. Even more so because it rained and the boxes melted and turned into a paper folder on the floor,” says Estelle Guillerm, the manager of a café.
“It is not possible [suportar] when you go out to eat in a restaurant,” says Michaël, maitre d’ at Bouillon Chartier restaurant, which serves 1,700 meals a day.
Martin Ruiz, an 18yearold American, laments the smell: “It’s disgusting.”
The director of a clothing boutique, Johana Marciano, complains about the “disastrous image of Paris” in front of foreign customers.
“I’ve never seen that before,” says a stunned Canadian.
“It’s terrible, there are mice and rats,” said Romain Gaia, a 36yearold pastry chef. “But they have every reason to strike,” he says. “These are people who don’t normally have power, but when they stop working, they really do have power.” (For international agencies)