World's 'most beautiful city' descends into 'disgusting, unliveable' mess
With leafy walkways lining the River Seine, iconic landmarks including the Eiffel Tower making up its skyline and continental cafés on nearly every corner, it’s not hard to see why Paris is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
But posing a huge threat to the city’s stellar reputation is an ongoing strike from its waste disposal workers, which at 10 days in, shows no signs of coming to an end.
Six of seven incinerators used to burn the capital's trash have been brought to a halt by the strike, the agency in charge of the city's household waste said, leaving rubbish going uncollected for days in several areas.
Residents report seeing an increase in rats scurrying along streets in a city where public parks have battled rodent infestations in recent years.
The trash pile-ups have raised serious public health concerns for the city’s two million residents.
“It’s frankly disgusting. It’s ugly and unhealthy and when compared to other capitals it’s rare to see nightmare situations like this,” resident Joel Bonnet told France 24.
Disturbing images from around Paris show mountains of black bin bags piled up in densely-populated areas as the problem continues to grow.
Catherine Lemoine, a resident of the chic 16th district, told AFP the situation was “unliveable”.
The strikes are also affecting other major cities across France, with 3,000 tonnes of garbage on the streets of the southern port city of Marseille.
The city has required unions to provide a minimum level of service and placed garbage tips out for residents to stop them dumping their trash directly on the street.
Pension overhaul sparks outrage across France
Waste collectors are up in arms over the government's plans to fuse 42 different pension schemes – including the early retirement plans enjoyed by train drivers, Paris Opera employees and several other groups – into a single points-based system.
Train drivers last month suspended their strike after 47 straight days of disruptions to the Paris metro and inter-city trains that caused travel misery for millions.
President Emmanuel Macron's government argues that its reforms are necessary to make the pension system, one of the most generous in Europe, fairer for all and more sustainable.
Critics say it will force most French people to work longer for reduced payouts.
Garbage collectors argue that they should continue to be allowed to stop work early because their life expectancy is seven years less than for the average French person.
With AFP
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