Ongoing strike by binmen sees monumental rubbish piles in Athens

TO ADD to the woes of the Greeks, a strike by binmen has left refuse piling up in the capital. The country’s biggest landfill site, on the edge of Athens, has become another flashpoint.

“People must have the right to strike, but not against the society,” said Philippos Kirkitsos, head of the Ecological Recycling Society, a non-governmental group.

“This strike must stop now. We can think of another way to say what we want.”

More than two weeks into the walkout, however, there is no relief. The government ordered binmen to go back to work or face fines and even prison, but in a sign of the growing disconnect between Greeks and their elected leaders, the rubbish remained an odorous eyesore this week.

The capital’s main landfill site at Ano Liosia, on the north-western outskirts of Athens, now resembles a national security site. Two police checkpoints, one outside the facility and another at a nearby intersection, monitor traffic as a precaution after refuse collectors blocked trucks from entering and burned tyres several days ago.

Athens has more than four million people and produces between 6,000 tonnes and 7,000 tonnes of refuse every day. Health experts warn of a risk of viruses, as well as respiratory and other infections, if rubbish accumulates unchecked.