The waste is stored directly on the ground on this land belonging to the Aix-Marseille metropolis. - Adrien Max / 20 Minutes

  • The metropolis has stored waste on one of its sites, contrary to all the regulations in force.
  • She made this choice in the face of the garbage collectors' strike in the context of the conflict over pension reform, for reasons of hygiene, according to her, but also so as not to suffer from a bad image a few weeks before the municipal elections.
  • The unions regret a lack of dialogue and accuse the city of setting fire to the powder by using other solutions to collect waste.

Tons of garbage stored between a highway and a river. You have to take a small dead end, the Bounaude crossing, in the 11th arrondissement of Marseille, to arrive on land in the Aix-Marseille metropolis. It is here, between the A50 motorway and the Huveaune that cleaning vehicles and refuse collection bins are stored, behind buildings reserved for employees. And since Tuesday, tons of waste on the ground, as revealed by La Marseillaise while sand has been freshly placed to facilitate the passage of trucks.

This Wednesday morning, calm seems to have returned. But the waste has not disappeared. They are there, at the sight of the cars taking the highway and the smell of the surrounding towers. "We don't know how long it should last, the managers have to spend," said an employee. A few minutes later, the metropolis explains that cleaning is underway. But it is clear that the employees are more busy at lunch break than cleaning.

"It set the powder on fire"

This waste was stored on the ground by the metropolis, contrary to all the regulations in force, faced with the strike movement of metro workers in the context of the conflict over pension reform. “It all started with the strike of agents at the Cabucelle collection site. These officers realized that the pickup had been made, despite the strike. Either by private or by using overtime. The fact remains that it set fire to the powder and the movement has hardened, ”says Serge Tavano, FSU general secretary at the metropolis. In a joint press release with the CGT, they also denounced these practices as early as Sunday evening.

Sand has been freshly deposited on the ground to facilitate the passage of garbage trucks. - Adrien Max / 20 Minutes

Faced with the accumulation of waste in the streets of Marseille, and in the middle of an electoral period, the metropolis, whose president LR Martine Vassal is a candidate for the municipal elections, has therefore chosen to store this waste on this site. Rather than suffer from the bad image of garbage cans overflowing in Marseille, a postcard a little too recurrent.

"Preferable" solution

Even if the metropolis justifies itself differently: “Temporarily depositing waste on these spaces is a preferable solution to that of leaving waste on the streets, which would quickly pose serious problems of hygiene and public health. This land belongs to the Metropolis and the collection agents evacuate the waste as and when the transfer centers are unlocked. "

Serge Tavano calls the metropolis to dialogue. “It is important that they understand that if the streets are cleaned while agents are losing money, it is as if nothing had happened. It is disrespectful to their approach. If they listened to our demands, it could calm things down. There is a step to take on the part of the administration of Martine Vassal ”, estimates the trade unionist. For the metropolis, "the only real solution would be for the strikers to stop their blockages so that service can resume under normal conditions". The time seems rather to put the lid back on the trash, even if it overflows.

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  • Environment
  • Trash can
  • Strike
  • Society
  • Marseilles
  • Planet
  • Retirement