Garbage in Paris streets poses public 8k8 com downloadhealth risk amid strikes

Paris's reputation as one of the world's most glamorous and photogenic cities is being seriously damaged by the wave of strikes across France over the government's planned reform of the pension system, as it has led to rubbish piling up on its streets, as refuse workers take industrial action.

City authorities estimate around 6,600 metric tons of rubbish have been left out in the streets since cleaning staff went out on strike, which the Agence France Presse, or AFP news agency, said has been extended until at least next Monday, as workers seek a pay rise and also protest against plans to push back their retirement age from 57 to 59.

Jean-François Rial, president of the Paris tourism office, admitted that scenes of litter-strewn streets were "not optimal for foreign visitors" but told AFP that they were not having any impact on the number of visitors coming to the capital.

As well as being an eyesore, the uncollected rubbish also poses a growing public health risk. The BBC quoted one French radio pundit as calling it an "all you can eat buffet" for the city's rat population, and pest behavior specialist Romain Lasseur told Le Parisien newspaper that the strike "triggers a change in rat behavior.

"They'll rummage around in bins, reproduce there, and leave their urine and droppings. We have a worrying health risk for refuse collectors and the general population," he added.

Wednesday could be a vital day in the long-running and bitter dispute over President Emmanuel Macron's sharply divisive pension reform policy, which he says is desperately needed for the health of the country's finances.

Last week, the French Senate, the upper house of the country's Parliament, passed the bill by 195 votes to 112, and a final draft is now being put together for the approval of the Senate and National Assembly.

"It is a decisive step to make reform happen that will ensure the future of our pension system," Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne tweeted on hearing the news, adding that she was "totally committed to ensuring the text will be definitively adopted in the coming days".

But the passage has fired up passions on both sides, with socialist senator Monique Lubin telling Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt "Your name will forever be attached to a reform that will set the clock back almost 40 years," during the debate.

On Wednesday, workers across the country will be taking part in their eight day of action over the issue since January, at the same time as political meetings take place ahead of what could be a decisive vote on the issue on Thursday.