Paris, known for its quaint streets and ambiance, has been overtaken by garbage as part of a protest against the French government’s attempt to raise the age of retirement in the country.
Sanitation workers entered their ninth day of strike on Tuesday, and their absence is beginning to become apparent in the City of Light.
Garbage can be seen piled up across the city, with the smell accompanying it.
More than 5,600 tons of garbage had piled up by Monday, according to The Associated Press.
“It makes me sick,” said striker Gursel Durnaz. “There are bins everywhere, stuff all over. People can’t get past. We’re completely aware.”
French President Emmanuel Macron’s government is proposing to raise the retirement age by two years, from 62 to 64 years old for most people, and from 57 to 59 for most people in the sanitation sector.
On Tuesday, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said she was confident there’ll be a majority in parliament to pass the reform.
“Monsieur Macron wants us to die on the job,” said Frederic Aubisse, a sewer worker.
On Wednesday, unions are organizing their eighth nationwide protest march since January — the third in nine days — the same day lawmakers are meeting to agree on the text of the bill.
If achieved, it would go to vote on Thursday.
Some protests against the reform have turned violent, while others are aimed at disruption, including key refineries blocked and railway transport disrupted.
The strike is expected to continue at least until Thursday and garbage collector unions had set no date for a resumption of services.
— with files from The Association Press and Reuters