Author & photos: Leah Pattem
Since Monday, you might have noticed we’ve been dealing with a growing rubbish crisis as bin collectors have gone on an indefinite strike.
The workers are demanding a 12% pay rise to make up for years of stagnant wages, but so far, the companies have only offered 4%. They are also calling for proper recognition of night shifts and greater transparency in hiring practices, which they argue currently favour personal connections over merit. In addition, the union is pushing for better social protections, including full pay during the first 60 days of sick leave – a benefit that was recently removed in the latest contract revisions.
Nightshift workers are also requesting a less intensive rotar. At the moment, many works seven nights a week, which is detrimental to physical condition and health. A maximum number of consecutive days of work have been proposed, but it hasn’t been specified yet.
For porters – those responsible for loading and unloading bins – the average gross annual salary is €35,280.23 (€2,940 per month), while drivers earn €36,211.26 (€3,017.60 per month). Employees in vehicle repair workshops have a slightly higher salary of €38,772.04 (€3,231 per month).
Talks between the unions and the private waste management companies have broken down, and no new negotiations are on the horizon. While the negotiations technically involve private companies and striking workers, it’s important to remember that the right-wing Madrid City Council, who privatised the service, is also complicit. The council has allowed these private companies to exploit workers, yet are still trying to impose a minimum service level of 50%. However, with few, if any, collections having taken place since the strike began, the council has now issued €1.6 million in penalties for failing to meet these service requirements.
In a show of solidarity, the SELUR emergency cleaning service responsible for urgent cleaning tasks has refused to cross the picket line, meaning the strike is likely to continue for now.
Update 28 April: Madrid’s rubbish collection workers end their strike after a tense meeting. There’ll be incremental salary increases with a 5% increase by 2029, and a maximum number of consecutive nightshifts. In total, 76% of the workforce voted in favour of ending the strike and service resumes today – one week after the strike began.
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