Sicilian bin workers on strike, Palermo drowned in rubbish

Fifty piles of rubbish were set on fire last night in Palermo and rubbish seem to drown the whole city. The city bin workers refuse to do extra hours work because they do not want to get on vehicles that do not abide by the security standards.

Ten days ago the refuse workers of Palermo decided to stop working extra hours because most of the vehicles used for rubbish collection do not abide by compulsory security standards. June wages are at risk but unions decided to keep on with the protest and be on "white strike" which means the strict respect of the security procedures. This implies that workers do not get on unsafe vehicles, basically most of those available for rubbish collection.

The rubbish collection in the city became unmanageable also because half of the vehicles do not work due to engine failure. Since last Friday 350 piles of rubbish have been set on fire. The mayor of Palermo, a city ruled by the right, blames workers and unions of "irresponsibility" and accuses them of "exploiting the current crisis of the company Amia (in charge of the city rubbish collection) due to an excessive cost of labor".