Garbage piles up on the streets of Athens amid strikes

Municipal workers in Athens are currently on a series of strikes causing garbage to pile up on the streets of the Greek capital.

Unions announced a protest campaign on Monday, as they are opposed to plans by the New Democracy government to change strike rules and expand the role of the private sector in providing municipal services.

Strikes planned this week are set to halt garbage collection and municipal services and disrupt public transport.

Protest marches are planned by several unions in Athens and Thessaloniki on Wednesday and Thursday to coincide with a debate in parliament on the proposed government reforms.

The City of Athens has appealed to residents to limit the amount of trash they put out until the protests are over.

Athens’ Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis made an announcement asking locals to try and do their part to keep the streets as clean as possible.

“Strikes continue but we will continue our efforts to keep our neighbourhoods as clean as possible. We are doing everything we can to manage the problem as best we can. We all need to cooperate to prevent the situation from getting worse,” said Bakoyannis.

Municipal council authorities said trash would be collected from high-risk areas like schools and hospitals, as well as at farmers' markets.