GARBAGE IS ACCUMULATING IN PARIS

While the pension reform continues to mobilize the population,
a call for a renewable strike by garbage collectors and all waste treatment was recovered from March 7.

The movement has spread across France, from Paris to Marseille via Rennes, Antibes and Montpellier. The 2-year ratio of the legal retirement age from 57 to 59 is part of the demands.

Garbage workers strike in Paris

The capital has seen 5,400 tonnes of waste pile up since March 6. This is in addition to the blocking of 3 incineration plants by the strikers: Vitry-sur-Seine (94), Issy-les-Moulineaux (92) and St-Ouen (93). However, the metropolitan household waste agency Sytcom diverted dumpsters to around fifteen other treatment or storage sites.

This strike has impacted trade and tourism with odors and the appearance of rats Note that 10 districts are affected by the strike (2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 20th). In others such as the 4th, 7th or 17th, collection is provided by private service providers, but in slow motion.

Through this movement, garbage collectors want to emphasize the arduous nature of their work, which for the vast majority implies a lower life expectancy of 12 to 17 years than all employees.

To date, the situation is escalating, both at the level of the unions and of the politicians who do not hesitate to charge the Mayor of Paris For her part, Anne Hidalgo returns the ball to the government after the declarations of the Minister of SMEs who denounced “an ideological opposition in contempt of Parisians” and demanded a change in the management of the roads, or even the Minister of Transport Clément Beaune who regrets that no emergency measure, even partial, has been put in place.

A national movement

The capital is not the only one affected by this strike movement.

• In Nantes, the situation continues to worsen and the city asks its citizens not to take out the trash, the Etier, Janvraie and Great Britain collection sites being blocked. On strike for 6 weeks, the garbage collectors are not giving up and are determined to go all the way Negotiations have stalled despite new proposals from the metropolis These have been refused and the hardening of the movement has been renewed. The city has seized the administrative court to obtain the lifting of the blockages and to request a financial penalty although the blockade can be maintained until next Monday, March 20.
• In Marseille, the movement which had lasted for a week was suspended following an agreement with the urban community. One from a private company that collected garbage in the 2nd arrondissement and protested against the renewal of public cleanliness contracts which provided for collection from a public company, employees fearing not to be taken back in full.
• In Antibes, the movement is renewable until further notice and could last the whole month of March, according to the garbage collectors of Sophia Antioloplis.
• In Montpellier, the strikers aim to “make the city unbreathable in order to hope to be heard”.

The request of the Minister of the Interior

In Paris, some districts including the 6th, 16th and 17th, saw their waste collected overnight from Monday to Tuesday, by a private company. it “seems” to be the Paris City Hall according to the mayor of the 17th arrondissement, Geoffroy Boulard.

Anne Hidalgo’s first deputy, Emmanuel Grégoire, specifies that the collection interventions in the capital have public safety as a priority. They include the clearing of food markets, the removal of garbage bags on the ground and the safety of pedestrian paths (building entrances, pedestrian crossings, etc.). Faced with these situations, opposition elected officials including Rachida Dati, mayor of the 7th district and the inhabitants asked the Mayor of Paris to set up a minimum service by the municipality for health reasons.

On March 14, in the evening, Gérald Darmanin asked the Paris police chief, Laurent Nunez, to requisition personnel in the face of this situation. He also addressed the mayor of Paris. If the latter does not respond to its requisition, the State will replace it. However, Anne Hidalgo says she is in solidarity with the strikers. She will suspend the city council on March 15 in order to participate in the demonstration.

Concerning the blocking of the incinerator of Ivry-sur-Seine, the largest in Europe with 700,000 tonnes of waste treated each year by Syctom, it is prolonged with the setting up of strike pickets at night. There are watchtowers to monitor that there is no hardware degradation or intrusion.

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VERONIQUE YANG

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