More garbage woe for Athens
Residents of Athens better get used to the sight, and smell, of rotting garbage that has piled up in the streets of the capital, as municipal waste collectors yesterday announced a 48-hour strike for today and tomorrow. The decision came after several days of work-to-rule action by staff at the Fyli landfill in northwestern Attica, which slowed down the collection of waste across the capital. Staff there were pushing for the renewal of the short-term contracts of some 100 employees. Giorgos Hardas, head of the landfill workers’ union, has been called to testify in connection with the delays in trash collection. Municipal garbage collectors yesterday listed a number of demands, including the extension of 420 short-term contracts, the signing of a collective contract and protection of current wage levels. Incoming Mayor Giorgos Kaminis has called for a settlement of both issues, warning against the prospect of a trash-swamped capital over Christmas.
