French pension strike creates massive garbage pileup in Paris

The ongoing strikes over French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to raise the retirement age by two years have generated gargantuan garbage piles in Paris.

Paris garbage collectors have been on strike since March 6. In the subsequent weeks, over five tons of uncollected garbage bags have littered the streets and roads of the French capital. The strikers also have blockaded three waste treatment centers that would normally process the garbage.

Mr. Macron’s proposed reform would raise the retirement age of garbage collectors from 57 to 59. Collectors retire earlier than other workers due to the difficulty of the work itself — for most other French workers, Mr. Macron’s plan would raise the age from 62 to 64.

Parisians and tourists took to social media to post pictures and videos of the littered streets this week. 

Strike by garbage workers in Paris has left streets lined with trash. (New York Times) pic.twitter.com/oxxlaYZoev

— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) March 15, 2023

JUST IN: Garbage collectors are also on strike! Garbage begins to pile up in the streets of Paris. 1800 tonnes of waste has not been collected so far  

French protests are next level.  pic.twitter.com/up1SiPctU1

— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) March 9, 2023

Protests and strikes have affected other cities across the country, such as Le Havre and Rennes, and piles of uncollected garbage are plaguing them too. 

French trade unions on Wednesday dug in, urging the nation’s parliament to vote against the retirement-age plan.