City drowning in rubbish: 10,000 TONS of waste pile up on streets of Marseilles in chilling echo of British 'winter of discontent'

Cindy, Charlotte, NC, 3 years ago

There are ways to show your discontent with the government and then there is this way. Piles of garbage can lead to disease so I have to wonder how this is hurting anyone other than the French citizens? I'm sure the tourism industry is also suffering. I know I wouldn't visit there now even if the trip was free. In fact even after it is cleaned up I'm not sure I would want to visit this country after reading about the protests and seeing the nastiness in the streets. Get back to work and protest in a way that doesn't hurt others.

toledofan, toledo ohio, 3 years ago

I guess when you put everything into perspective, there are a lot of problems because of what the government failed to do and what they fail to do moving forward. One thing for sure, the system in France, doesn't work and it's going to require some very solid leadership to get them out of trouble. I fear we will see some of the same disruptions in the U.S. if we continue down the road to socialism and being ruled by an elite bunch liberals who can't tie their own shoe laces. The unions only will take what management gives them and if management is willing to always give more to retain their votes or keep the people quiet, well, you get what you pay for. I think that when you look at the whole of Europe, we're starting to see the unraveling of socialism and once that happens, the liberals will be doomed forever. I just hope you keep them there, we have enough of our own here in America.

Kristina Howells, Calais France, 3 years ago

Living in France I can tell you that the legal age of retirement full time is at 65-67. Women cannot retire if they have had career breaks and will certainly pay for it in their 60's. So anyone who thinks the French are lazy well at least they get off their backsides and bring the country to a standstill at their disgust of the way the government handles things, unlike most nations in the world that just sit there and do nothing n'est pas!!!!!

Benedicte, Lyon, France, 3 years ago

But isn't the minimum retirement age in the UK 55? And it was 50 until Brown put it up. The age when the French can receive the full retirement pension is going up from 65 to 67, just like ours. This has been widely misreported, - Kevin, Nottingham, 26/10/2010 8:38 Very right, the minimum retirement age is going from 60 to 62, but the full retirement pension is going from 65 to 67 exactly the same as Britain. The French have identified themselves as the laziest group of human beings in the civilized world. Michael L, Lake Havasu City, AZ, 25/10/2010 22:56 Where do you get that from? My parents in law retired at 75 and 79, my father is still working at 74 and my uncle at 73. My step-daughters grandmother has just retired aged 71. They are certainly not lazy! They were and are hard working people just as the majority of the French and Europeans are. Don't put everyone in the same boat please.

Barry, Melle, France, 3 years ago

There have been many updates since the list featured above. The strike over rubbish collection in Marseilles has now ended. Three of the twelve refineries have resumed work after voting to end the action, with a further one producing supplies by order of the return to work by Government. Four out five filling stations are now operating normally. In reply to Stephen Robb, it is total nonsense to suggest that Britain's E.U. contibutions are subsidising French pensions. The French worker has been paying a relatively high proportion of their income for many years to fund their retirement, hence the uproar now. When talking about empty pots, he should first think of the U.K. funding a welfare state for a vastly increased population through mass immigration that must be taking out more than they are contributing.

Toni, Epson, 3 years ago

VIVE LA FRANCE at least they can demonstrate what they don't like here in England we eat and keep quite. the Government got a way out of this and they call it a DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY where we need Court Authorisation to demonstrate.

spiderbone, Belle Haven, VA, 3 years ago

Wow, talk about a spoiled lot of people.....they are ruining their own country because they don't want to work 2 MORE YEARS! They probably have the lowest retirement age in the modern world and the shortest workweek of industrialized nations and they are complaining? Hey I have and idea, move to India or China and work in squalor until you fall over and die and see how bad you really have it. Awfully damn selfish if you ask me. Frankly they deserve everything that they are doing to themselves.

wddb, Bethlehem, PA, USA, 3 years ago

Let Sarkozy and the wealthy, who don't ever have to worry about benefits, pick it up. They should be grateful there is no longer the guillotine.

jon, derby, 3 years ago

I find it amazing that some of these comments appear to lampoon the French for striking for their rights. By apparently condoning the increasing of ones pension able age surely you are shooting yourselves in the feet and groin area and robbing yourselves of valuable quality time in your twilight years. Not everyone is employed in the type of job, or enjoys the health that is conducive to working beyond current retirement levels. Our politicians must be rubbing their hands with glee when they read what a bunch of pushovers that they preside over. Now please wake up to what is going on and back the French cause if not follow their example.

Stephen E. W. Robb, Reading, Berkshire UK, 3 years ago

Here's a little thought for the English comments saying Vive La France and sock to the French Government. Just who do you think is subsidising the French to retire at 60 on very generous pensions in the first place? You are, with the UK's contribution to the EU of which France takes the biggest whack out of it. My, my, are you really that naive if you didn't realise that? And here you are cheering them on while you will have to eventually go on working till your 70 so they can retire at 62. Aren't you the same people who will contribute till your 67+ to the Public Sector gold plated pensions so they can still retire at 60? Don't you remember the fiasco in Greece over pensions not so long ago? My, my, what short memories you all have! Here's a reminder, you can't have back what you haven't got in the pot to start with!