Paris garbage collectors’ strike ends as protests over pension reforms shrink
PARIS — Striking sanitation workers in Paris are set to return to work Wednesday, potentially ending one of the most enduring symbols of resistance to French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension system changes as nationwide protests also appeared to be winding down.
Cleanup crews were set to start picking up heaps of trash that had piled up over trash collectors’ weeks-long strike, which began March 6. The streets are also littered with debris following the 10th nationwide anti-pension reform protest, which took place Tuesday.
Trash mounds of up to 10,000 tons along the French capital’s streets — matching the weight of the Eiffel Tower — have become a potent visual and olfactory symbol of opposition to Macron’s effort to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
In a decision that sent waves of relief among some Paris residents, the powerful CGT union representing sanitation workers announced that their strike would be “suspended” as of Wednesday. They will join others who were legally requisitioned over the last week to help with the daunting cleanup process.
“It’s good that the trash is collected. It’s very unsanitary, and some residents already have trouble with rats and mice. It can be dangerous if it’s left too long,” said artist Gil Franco, 73.
The suspension of the strike, together with the dwindling protest numbers, is seen by some as the beginning of the end of demonstrations against the pension bill.
The pension plan raises the retirement age in France from 62 to 64 despite weeks of protests across the country against it.
“People are getting tired of it,” said Paris resident Amandine Betout, 32, getting her morning croissant in Le Marais district. “There has been too much violence. Paris is a mess, and I want to get on with normal life.”
An artist going by the single name Bisk, who has drawn attention for his creative sculptures using trash, said his work had added some levity to otherwise tense protests, reminding Parisians of the lighter side of life.
“People come by all serious, then see a monster’s face or a little man, and they leave with a smile. People have thanked me for puncturing the mood,” the 30-year-old artist said.
Bisk said he had worked on about 100 garbage can sculptures since March 6, creating fantastical monster faces with mad eyes or little friendly men. The creations have been popular on social media.
Protests against French President Emmanuel Macron’s move to raise the retirement age continued Friday and forced Britain’s king to postpone a visit.
Tuesday’s protest in Paris saw dozens of arrests and flare-ups of violence, but significantly fewer people participated in the demonstrations nationwide.
The Interior Ministry put the number of demonstrators nationwide at 740,000, down from more than 1 million five days ago, when protesters voiced their rage at Macron’s order to ram the bill through Parliament without a vote.
For unions, the fight against the law is far from over. An 11th day of action is scheduled for April 6.
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