France Protests: Tons of Garbage Stinks in Paris as Protesters Intensify Outrage Over Pension Bill

On Wednesday, thousands of protesters joined a nationwide strike protesting President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to raise the retirement age. A committee of parliamentarians adopted the idea.

It is still being determined if Macron can secure a parliamentary majority for his proposal to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 so that workers may contribute more to the system. If not, he might risk unilaterally enforcing the unpopular changes.

Emmanuel Macron Urges to Raise Retirement Age

Per AP News, the plan would also delay receiving a full pension until age 67 for anyone who quits at age 64 without putting in at least 43 years of service.

Macron has emphasized the modifications essential to his plan to boost French economic competitiveness. Late on Wednesday, unions continued to argue against the proposal, urging MPs to reject it and criticizing the government's use of legal loopholes to forward the legislation as a dangerous "denial of democracy."

Economic difficulties throughout Western Europe have caused widespread unrest. Wednesday saw a strike in Britain by teachers, internists, and employees of the public transportation system demanding more pay to keep up with rising costs.

Spain's left-wing government announced a "historic" agreement with labor unions to safeguard its pension system by increasing social security contributions for those with higher incomes. The Spanish approach is exactly what French unions want, but Macron has refused to raise taxes, claiming that doing so would reduce the competitiveness of the nation's economy.

The president has claimed that since there will be an increase in the number of retirees from 16 to 21 million by 2050, something must be done to maintain France's existing levels of pension payments. Paris was awash in piles of rotting trash ten days into a sanitation workers' strike, which police ordered removed along the march route after troublemakers used trash to ignite fires or throw trash at police in prior protests.

Paris Piled With Garbages

While sanitation workers continue their strike against pension reform, tons of stinking garbage and trash have stockpiled on Paris' streets, according to the BBC. Macron's proposals to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64 have led to the city's garbage collectors being on strike since March 6.

Social media users posted images and videos of garbage bags piling into shoulder-high mounds on the city's typically attractive streets-over 5,600 tons of uncollected trash amassed on the city's highways until Monday. A fourth station that treats garbage has been partially shuttered, while three have been blocked. The strike has impacted not just Paris; but also Rennes, Le Havre, and Nantes.

The change would raise the retirement age for garbage collectors. Because of their challenging working conditions, they retire at 57, but under the revisions, they would have to continue working for an additional two years, as per NDTV.

According to the daily Le Parisien, the strike will extend until Wednesday, when representatives from trade unions are due to vote on whether to continue striking.