SPAIN: Rubbish piles up in the Spanish capital, as garbage collectors and park and garden workers employed by private companies contracted by Madrid City Hall stage an indefinite strike over plans to slash over 1100 jobs

Record ID: 341217

  • Title: SPAIN: Rubbish piles up in the Spanish capital, as garbage collectors and park and garden workers employed by private companies contracted by Madrid City Hall stage an indefinite strike over plans to slash over 1100 jobs
  • Date: 6th November 2013
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (NOVEMBER 6, 2013) (REUTERS) RUBBISH STREWN ON CENTRAL MADRID STREET AND PEOPLE WALKING PAST ORANGES LITTERING STREETS AND PEDESTRIAN'S FOOT STEPPING ON THEM VARIOUS OF LITTER PILED ON STREET STATUE OF STREET SWEEPER IN JACINTO BENAVENTE SQUARE SURROUNDED BY LITTER SIGN ON STATUE READING "I AM ALSO ON AN INDEFINITE STRIKE" WOMAN PUSHING BABY CARRIAGE WALKING
  • Embargoed: 21st November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAA73V3032HDVYDZ5PL3KKLNN8Z
  • Story Text: Plastic bags, bottles, boxes, food remains and autumn leaves littered the streets of Spain's capital on Wednesday (November 6), the second day of an indefinite strike by garbage collectors and gardeners over proposed lay-offs and wage cuts.
    Some 6,000 outdoor maintenance workers joined the walk-out at midnight on Tuesday (November 5), union representatives said, after private companies, contracted by Madrid's city hall, proposed slashing salaries by up to 40 percent and laying off 1,144 people.
    Forty percent of the workers provided cleaning services as stipulated by minimum service regulations leaving many streets with rubbish piling up.
    A street cleaner in Madrid, a city of 3.2 million people, earns 1,000 to 1,200 euros a month, Spain's largest labour federation CCOO said.
    Spain has made deep spending cuts throughout its public services sector in an effort to reduce one of the euro zone's highest public deficits, prompting mass demonstrations and strikes by students, health workers and public servants.
    Although the city's residents are unhappy with the lack of rubbish collection, many understand the grievances of the workers.

    "It's very complex, I imagine. The workers must have their reasons but it's city hall's responsibility to manage those needs and demands and combine them with the needs of the of the people of Madrid. So I hope they resolve this quickly, for everyone's benefit," Madrid resident David Salinas said.
    Madrid has seen almost daily protests over the last few years as the conservative government digs deeper into public coffers to balance the books and show nervous investors it can control its finances.
    The sight of rubbish piling up on the street has shocked tourists and locals alike.
    Helene Clement, a French tourist, said it gave her the impression the city had reached rock bottom.

    "It's a disaster. It's truly very sad. Madrid is a magnificent city and you get the impression it has been neglected, that it has hit rock bottom, It's very sad," she said.

    "I haven't been here for many years but it seems it's really depressing that the city is in a state that it can't clean-up the rubbish," John Myerscough, from England said.
    Public sector cuts have done nothing to ease severe unemployment, which has risen to record levels of more than 26 percent. Almost a third of all those currently out of work in the 17-country euro zone live in Spain.
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