No, this is not India! But it's Paris, the most romantic city in the world. Photos and videos of tons of garbage bags piled up on the streets of Paris have gone viral on social media.
According to BBC reports, over 5,000 tons of garbage have piled up on the streets of Paris amid workers' strikes over new pension reforms. Not just Paris, cities like Rennes, Le Havre and Nantes, Rennes have also been affected by the strike.
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. According to the daily Le Parisien, the strike will last at least until the time the representatives from trade unions are set to vote on whether to continue striking.
Currently, Rubbish collectors can retire at the age of 57 owing to the particularly tough nature of their jobs, while sewage workers can leave at 52. According to France 24 reports, both categories will have to work two more years under the government’s planned reform.
The unpopular bill, which would put France's retirement age more in line with its EU neighbours and the UK, got a push forward with the French Senate's adoption of the measure. This move was taken despite strikes and protests spiralling out of control, transport chaos affecting trains, metros and some airports, and uncollected garbage piling higher by the day.
The trash buildup in Paris has now sparked health concerns among Parisians, with many fearing that a rat invasion is imminent. "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.
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