Rome faces rubbish collection strike on 14 July

04 Jul, 2018

AMA Roma workers threaten capital with 24-hour strike.

Trade unions representing employees of Rome's rubbish collection authority AMA Roma have called a full 24-hour strike on Saturday 14 July, with only minimal services guaranteed.

The threatened strike action is in protest over the possible privatisation of the company's services as well as demands to relax its turnover of employees. Trade union officials are expected to raise these issues during a meeting at city hall on 6 July.

The troubled refuse collection agency, which suffers from absenteeism rates of about 15 per cent, recently agreed a controversial deal with trade unions to reward workers with high levels of attendance.

The move was criticised widely as paying workers extra for doing the job they are already employed to do, at a moment when the capital battles an ever-increasing rubbish crisis.