Trash cleanup under way

Rubbish collectors return to work as two-month talks on benefits start

Garbage collectors began gathering the 40,000 tons of rotting trash littering the capital city’s sidewalks on Saturday after calling off a 10-day strike and edging into talks with the government to solve the 17-year-old issue at the root of the protest.

Authorities estimate it will take up to three days for street cleaners to clear the tons of accumulated trash, which had begun posing a serious health risk to local residents.

Many municipal workers who had refused to participate in the walkout had previously helped clean up some parts of the city, especially schools and hospitals.

However, most neighborhoods were forced to put up with rubbish piles that in some spots stretched more than 10 meters.

The strike also caused serious problems in Thessaloniki, where Mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos threatened to arrest striking workers.

In a meeting that began Friday afternoon and ended early Saturday, workers decided to take the government up on its offer to start talks on their pay and benefit demands.

Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos has proposed setting up a committee — representing workers, municipal officials and the ministry — to examine their demands over the next two months on the condition that workers return to work.

The union wants a larger number of workers being paid an “hazardous and physically demanding” work benefit, available to certain categories of workers.

Some trash collectors already receive the benefit — which also qualifies workers for early retirement — while others are not, depending on the pension fund to which they belong.

The issue has been outstanding for the last 17 years as consecutive governments have passed on the problem, fearing a solution would put pressure on the budget.

Garbage collectors have held six strikes in the past year and appear determined to launch more protests if needed.

Pavlopoulos has accused the striking workers of having political motives instead of simply seeking extra benefits. The reporting of the story by international media also sparked fears about its impact on Greece’s tourism, which is set to move into its peak period.