Mountains of rubbish against pension reform | euronews

Mountains of rubbish everywhere in the streets of Paris. A garbage collector’s strike began in France more than a week ago to protest President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to reform the pension system. Tons of rubbish is not collected, the rubbish attracts rats and the stench irritates locals and tourists alike.

“It smells so bad when you walk by it and if you have to climb over it. We came through streets where you had to zigzag between mountains of rubbish. It’s not nice,” says German tourist Claudia Harmand.

Olivia Stephenson, a British tourist, supports the protest: “There are also a lot of strikes in England at the moment and although the sight and smell are unpleasant, I support them. Pensions and wages are important to a lot of people.”

“Of course, Paris would be more beautiful and elegant without rubbish. But we also understand life, the economy, social struggles and problems,” says Polish tourist Monica Ostoja.

A controversial pension reform with a gradual increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64 sparked protests in France for weeks and is now entering its final parliamentary phase.

The French Parliament could approve it this week.