Garbage collector strike in Marseille ends with wage increase deal

Rubbish collectors in the southern French city of Marseille are back to work, ending their third strike in four months after a deal with the city for a one-off pay rise and a promise of better compensation and benefits.

[11:59 AM] ELZAS Sarah Caption Private garbage collectors hired by Marseille city hall collect overflowing rubbish bins on 1 February 2022, as municipal collectors were on strike. © Christophe Simon/AFP

The city and the Force Ouvrière (FO) trade union announced the end of the two-week strike on Wednesday, with a gradual return to normal waste collection within a week.

There are still some 2,000 tonnes of garbage overflowing bins onto the city streets – what remains after the mayor hired private companies over the weekend to deal with the 2,900 tonnes of trash that had been threatening to end up in the Mediterranean.

The city’s Socialist mayor hired the companies to get around the conservative-run Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan authority, which runs regional garbage collection.

The private companies will continue to help until there is a “return to normal”, according to the city.

Striking to work less 

The rubbish collectors first went on strike in September to protest against an extension of their working hours that would bring them to 35 hours a week (or 1,607 hours a year).

This would bring them in line with all municipal employees – a requirement passed in 2019 that sparked municipal worker strikes throughout France.

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A second strike in December ended after a deal was struck to allow for a 15 percent reduction of work time due to the difficulty of the work.

But the FO union called the third strike on 18 January, because it did not believe the agreement was being respected.

Wednesday's deal “satisfies both parties”, according to the union, which is looking forward to discussions in March to increase the entire compensation package for garbage collectors.

(with wires)