Rubbish Piles Up on Lisbon Streets as Waste Collection Workers Strike

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RksNews 2 Min Read
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Lisbon is facing a growing waste management crisis as waste collection workers are on their second day of a citywide strike. The strike, led by the Municipal Workers Union of Lisbon (STML) and the Local Administration Workers Union (STAL), has resulted in piles of uncollected trash scattered across the city, exacerbating the waste issue during the festive season, when waste levels are typically higher, Euronews reports.

Residents have expressed frustration on social media, blaming Mayor Carlos Moedas and his administration for mishandling the city’s waste management system. The Mayor’s office acknowledged the severity of the situation, with union estimates indicating that 80% of workers participated in the strike on Thursday.

Pedro Moutinho, from Lisbon City Council, stated that despite their best efforts to collect waste, the city has struggled to keep up with the increasing trash, especially with the ongoing strike. In response, the council has placed 57 additional bins for organic and recyclable waste across Lisbon, but Moutinho emphasized that these measures are temporary, urging residents to minimize unnecessary waste on the streets.

The two unions have outlined further strike actions, including a full strike on December 26 and 27, a ban on overtime between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and a strike from 10 PM on January 1 to 6 AM on January 2.

The unions have criticized the local council for failing to meet commitments made in a June 2023 agreement, including improvements to worker facilities and proper meal spaces. The outsourcing of cleaning services to private companies has also been condemned as “unacceptable.”

While Moutinho admitted some delays in meeting the demands, he reassured that progress was being made and emphasized that none of the commitments had been forgotten or abandoned.

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