Symbolic of angry workers reaching flash point around the world as economic volatility puts people into financial hardship, overflowing bins filled with smelly rubbish scattered across certain Sydney streets.
The economic volatility has seen prices of groceries, rents and energy costs skyrocket, leaving many workers unable to make ends meet with their current wages.
With wages not keeping up with the rising costs of living, workers are being forced to take drastic action to ensure their rights are not ignored. Strikes are becoming a common occurrence in many industries in Australia and around the world as workers demand better pay and more secure employment.
The current economic environment has seen many workers in traditionally secure industries such as manufacturing, construction and hospitality become vulnerable to job loss. This has been compounded by the decrease in union membership, leaving many workers without the support of an organisation to protect their rights.
Cleanaway, a waste management firm contracted by the City of Sydney council, has been embroiled in a contentious dispute with its staff, leading to bins overflowing with rubbish in the streets for days.
So far, the Transport Workers Union has declared three 24-hour strike periods due to the fact that the garbos are having difficulty making ends meet in light of the high cost of living. They maintain that these hardworking individuals deserve financial security for themselves and their families since they perform a demanding and essential service for the people of Sydney.
In February, around 24,000 bins went uncollected due to workers walking out, and Cleanaway is also struggling with filling 672 vacant positions, ranging from garbage truck drivers to waste plant employees.