Strike at trash cans in Marseille: A cleaning operation carried out overnight at Saint-Charles station

tourism first As the weekend of August 15 approaches, the government has supported the intervention of a company mandated by SNCF

Cans, food packaging and various rubbish had been accumulating since the beginning of August 2023 in the Marseille station, which is one of the largest in France. — Christophe SIMON

The rubbish piled up there. following a strike by cleaning workers denouncing the non-payment of wages. After ten days of mobilization, the platforms and hall of Saint-Charles station in Marseille where transit 16 million travelers per year were cleared this Friday morning of heaps of packaging and other waste. Because a cleaning operation mandated by the SNCF has been carried out. conducted in the night…

The mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, had issued a decree on Thursday. enjoining the SNCF to clean the station, which has already experienced two cleaning strikes this year, due to “risk of fires and unsanitary conditions” what is caused by the heaping up of rubbish” This Friday morning, a message posted on the screens at the station, however, said: “a work stoppage by the cleaning company is still in progress since 1 August. Thank you for not littering the station anymore,” a journalist from AFP.

“ an unworthy situation”

“As we approach the weekend of August 15, marked by a strong influx of passengers at the station, the State services supported last night the intervention of a third-party cleaning company mandated by SNCF Gares & Connexions, in order to pick up waste at the Marseille Saint-Charles station,” the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture in a press release; Friday. An intervention justified by “the emergency health and safety situation’ generated by the accumulation of waste in public spaces,” to “return this day to an acceptable situation” to Saint-Charles station.

“ an unworthy situation,” reacted on his side; Clément Beaune, the Minister Delegate; to Transport on X (ex-Twitter).

The actions of a “boss-thug”

As a reminder, several employees of the private company Laser Propreté, responsible for cleaning in particular Saint-Charles station and the Marseille metro, have been on strike since 1 August. . They claim that many of them have not seen their last salaries paid, or only partially. They added in a statement; on Thursday having “deposed; complaint” against their employer, Laser Propreté;, denouncing the actions of a “boss-thug”.

On Wednesday, the cleaning company claimed to that “all wages had been paid. paid” July 31. After the failure of a first attempt at mediation by the departmental directorate of employment, labor and solidarity (DDETS), “the State called the company and the employees concerned renew the dialogue without delay », insisted; the prefecture.