Rubbish is piling up across Melbourne as more than one-thousand council workers take part in the largest strike in Victorian history.
Garbage collections, street cleansing, and home-care visits will grind to a halt on May 5th as workers from eight councils—including the City of Melbourne—march on Parliament House.
The Herald Sun reports that bans on rubbish collections, which started in Merri-bek, Darebin and Hume, are spreading to Hobsons Bay, Greater Dandenong and Yarra.
The Australian Services Union is demanding a ten-per-cent pay rise, arguing the state’s rate cap has left frontline staff facing a cost-of-living crisis.
While councils say they are negotiating in good faith, the union warns that without a deal, the “unprecedented” chaos on suburban streets will only continue.