Nearly 10,000 Tons of Trash Accumulated in Paris Due to Garbage Collectors' Strike

Parisian garbage collectors have been on strike for nearly two weeks, leaving massive piles of waste on the streets, French media reported on Friday.

In many neighborhoods of Paris, trash bins located next to residential buildings have overflowed, and garbage bags have been placed alongside the sidewalks, often completely blocking access. According to the Paris city hall's estimates, the volume of uncollected trash in the streets has reached 10,000 tons.

City residents are expressing their dissatisfaction on social media, complaining about the unpleasant odor emanating from the piles of garbage. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo stated on Friday that, at the request of the police, a list of 4,000 names of workers engaged in the city's cleaning services, along with their addresses, has been provided to law enforcement.

"I respect the right of those engaged in waste collection in Paris to strike, but unsanitary conditions are unacceptable," she said during an RTL broadcast.

On his part, France's Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, clarified that he has asked the police to take measures to send garbage collection company employees back to work. "I told the Mayor of Paris that I respect her choice, but excuse me, she did not take responsibility, so the police have started to demand the work of the city's cleaning staff at my request yesterday," said the minister.

The garbage collectors in Paris announced the strike as part of protests against pension reforms in France, which have caused significant discontent throughout the country.