Sanitation workers on strike; garbage piles tarnish Paris's beauty

Agencies | By Bibek Chettri

Updated On Mar 15, 2023 06:48 pm IST

The City of Light is losing its luster with tons of garbage piling up on Paris sidewalks as sanitation workers remained on strike for the tenth day. The creeping squalor is the most visible sign of widespread anger over a bill to raise the French retirement age by two years. The stench of rotting food has begun escaping from some rubbish bags and overflowing bins. More than 7,000 tons of garbage had piled up by Tuesday. Other French cities are also having garbage problems, but the mess in Paris, the showcase of France, has quickly become emblematic of strikers’ discontent, reported AP.

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People walk past uncollected garbage cans near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, on March 12. The City of Light is losing its luster with tons of garbage piling up on Paris sidewalks as sanitation workers continued their strike for the ninth day, on Tuesday, reported AP. (Michel Euler / AP)

Updated on Mar 15, 2023 06:48 pm IST

People walk past uncollected garbage cans near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, on March 12. The City of Light is losing its luster with tons of garbage piling up on Paris sidewalks as sanitation workers continued their strike for the ninth day, on Tuesday, reported AP. (Michel Euler / AP)

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A view of a street shows overflowing garbage lying unattended as garbage collectors, street cleaners, and underground sewer workers continued their strike for the tenth day today. Strikes have intermittently hobbled other sectors including transport, energy, and ports, but Macron remains undaunted as his government presses ahead with trying to get the unpopular pension reform bill passed in parliament. The bill would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 for most people and from 57 to 59 for most people in the sanitation sector, reported AP. (Benoit Tessier / Reuters)

Updated on Mar 15, 2023 06:48 pm IST

A view of a street shows overflowing garbage lying unattended as garbage collectors, street cleaners, and underground sewer workers continued their strike for the tenth day today. Strikes have intermittently hobbled other sectors including transport, energy, and ports, but Macron remains undaunted as his government presses ahead with trying to get the unpopular pension reform bill passed in parliament. The bill would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 for most people and from 57 to 59 for most people in the sanitation sector, reported AP. (Benoit Tessier / Reuters)

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A man walks his dog past piles of garbage in Paris, on March 13. (Lewis Joly / AP)

Updated on Mar 15, 2023 06:48 pm IST

A man walks his dog past piles of garbage in Paris, on March 13. (Lewis Joly / AP)

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Uncollected garbage are pictured near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, on March 14. Even the strikers themselves, who include garbage collectors, street cleaners and underground sewer workers, are concerned about what Paris is becoming in their absence, reported AP.  (Thomas Padilla / AP)

Updated on Mar 15, 2023 06:48 pm IST

Uncollected garbage are pictured near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, on March 14. Even the strikers themselves, who include garbage collectors, street cleaners and underground sewer workers, are concerned about what Paris is becoming in their absence, reported AP. (Thomas Padilla / AP)

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People walk past uncollected garbage in Paris, on March 13. Gursel Durnaz, who has been on a picket line for nine days, told AP, “There are bins everywhere, stuff all over. People can’t get past. We’re completely aware.” But, he added, President Emmanuel Macron has only to withdraw his plan to increase the French retirement age “and Paris will be clean in three days.”(Lewis Joly / AP)

Updated on Mar 15, 2023 06:48 pm IST

People walk past uncollected garbage in Paris, on March 13. Gursel Durnaz, who has been on a picket line for nine days, told AP, “There are bins everywhere, stuff all over. People can’t get past. We’re completely aware.” But, he added, President Emmanuel Macron has only to withdraw his plan to increase the French retirement age “and Paris will be clean in three days.”(Lewis Joly / AP)

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Striking employees block an entrance of an incineration plant to protest against the French government's proposed pensions reform in Ivry-sur-Seine, south of Paris, on March 14. Garbage collectors and truck drivers are opposed to their retirement age being pushed back from 57 to 59 if the new law is passed, the CGT union says, reported AFP. (Christophe Archambault / AFP)

Updated on Mar 15, 2023 06:48 pm IST

Striking employees block an entrance of an incineration plant to protest against the French government's proposed pensions reform in Ivry-sur-Seine, south of Paris, on March 14. Garbage collectors and truck drivers are opposed to their retirement age being pushed back from 57 to 59 if the new law is passed, the CGT union says, reported AFP. (Christophe Archambault / AFP)

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Garbage trucks are parked at an incineration plant, which is blocked by employees who are on strike to protest against the French government's proposed pensions reform in Ivry-sur-Seine, south of Paris, on March 14. 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, reported AFP(Christophe Archambault / AFP)

Updated on Mar 15, 2023 06:48 pm IST

Garbage trucks are parked at an incineration plant, which is blocked by employees who are on strike to protest against the French government's proposed pensions reform in Ivry-sur-Seine, south of Paris, on March 14. 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, reported AFP(Christophe Archambault / AFP)

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