Rubbish is piling up in Amsterdam due to a strike by refuse collectors. The industrial dispute means rubbish is also being left on the streets in Utrecht and The Hague. The consequences of the strike are becoming more and more visible for both tourists and residents.
Refuse collectors in Amsterdam have been on strike since 6 May and will continue until at least Friday, when they have another meeting with the council. Residents and businesses have been asked not to put their rubbish out if they can possibly avoid doing so. The city council has not taken out an injunction against the strikers because the unions have promised to intervene if public safety is endangered.
The reason behind the strike is a national dispute concerning pay and conditions for council employees in the Netherlands. A total of 420 municipalities are involved in the conflict, but strike action is only being taken by refuse collectors in a few large cities. It will take at least a week to clear the piles of rubbish on the streets.
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Just been to Amsterdam and it is pretty bad in the streets. Bins overflowing and HUGE piles of rubbish on the floor. Nobody seems too bothered about it either. Some work was being done to move it to a central location but it does show how much we as a people throw away and dont recylce. You could actually watch a street become filled with takeaway coffee cups etc throughout the day. It would help if there were less paper fliers around too.
C
The road to ruin is always kept in good repair.
At least the rubbish is tied neatly in colourful bags unlike in India, where rubbish merrily mingles with the environment and makes a disconcerting sight...Take care of the rubbish collectors or the Indian scene might become a reality...
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