Rubbish situation in Lisbon “could be worse”
Lisbon: On the second day of a total strike in rubbish collection in Lisbon, “the situation has obviously worsened, but not as much as it could have been in the worst case scenario”, the municipality’s director of urban hygiene noted Friday.
In telephone statements to Lusa, Pedro Moutinho said that compliance with minimum services is “lessening the effects” of the urban hygiene workers’ strike.
The arbitration college of the General Directorate of Administration and Public Employment (DGAEP) decreed minimum services for the strike in the area of urban hygiene in Lisbon, called by the Lisbon Municipal Workers’ Union (STML) and the National Administration Workers’ Union Local (STAL), between Christmas and New Year.
“Adherence is less than 50% at the moment, a number that is still very high, as anything above 10 or 15% would already have an impact”, admitted Pedro Moutinho.
Previously, the STML had placed participation in the strike at 60%, justifying the drop – on Thursday it reached 80% – with the introduction of minimum services, which it considers disproportionate and for which it presented a precautionary measure, which is still awaiting a decision from the Court.
Urban hygiene workers in the municipality have been on strike since Wednesday until January 2nd for overtime, and on Thursday and today they are on complete strike.
For the New Year, normal and extra work strikes are planned at night, between 10pm on the 1st and 6am on the 2nd of January.
“We are managing to remove a lot, but the garbage continues to accumulate”, the director of urban hygiene reported today.
“The pressure is great”, he said, repeating the appeal to the population not to deposit selective waste (glass, packaging, paper) in recycling bins.
This morning, 38 collection circuits were guaranteed, he indicated, recognizing, however, that he is “behind”.
According to STML, the minimum services decreed are ensuring around half of the usual collection circuits.
Pedro Moutinho also said he hopes that the end of the total strike – the strike in the coming days and until January 2nd will be limited to overtime work only – will “relieve some of the pressure” and allow “recovering what has been accumulated” in a municipality where 900 tons of garbage are collected per day.
The unions justify carrying out the strike with the lack of responses from the municipal executive, led by Carlos Moedas (PSD), to the problems affecting the urban hygiene sector, in particular compliance with the agreement signed in 2023, which provides, for example, works and interventions in the facilities.
According to STML data, 45.2% of the vehicles essential for removal are inoperative, 22.6% of the workforce is physically reduced or away due to work accidents and there is a deficit of 208 workers.
The Lisbon Chamber guaranteed that 13 of the 15 main points of the agreement signed in 2023 are being fulfilled.
The remaining two – works on the facilities and the opening of bars at all times and in all units – are nearing completion, he indicated.
To minimize the effects of the protest, the municipality decided to implement a set of measures, namely creating a crisis management team, available 24 hours a day; distributing construction dumpsters, in various regions of the city, for garbage disposal; asking citizens not to place trash on the street, especially paper and cardboard; call on large producers to collect during these days; and request the collaboration of neighbouring municipalities, with the possibility of using mobile eco-islands.
The strike called by STAL extended, on Thursday and today, to the urban waste sector in the neighboring municipality of Oeiras and to several municipalities in the North region.
