The indefinite strike of Girona+Neta workers began this Monday at midnight and paralyzed waste collection in the city. Trash is accumulating on the sidewalks of the historic center just as Girona prepares to receive thousands of visitors for the Flower Festival.
Commerce fears the visual impact
Waste accumulations are already visible in key points such as Independence Square. This area concentrates a high presence of bars and restaurants that now see their activity compromised.
Xavier Garcia, president of the Girona Hospitality Association, denounced the situation starkly.
"As always, the trash has been left at the door of our establishments" - Xavier Garcia, president of the Girona Hospitality Association
Business owners criticize that the effects of the service malfunction fall directly on their businesses. The establishments pay the corresponding waste fee but do not receive adequate compensation.
Unusable Terraces and Political Criticism
The entity described the current situation as a failure of political management. They demand maximum speed to reach an agreement that will unblock the situation before mass tourism saturates the streets.
Garcia pointed out that it is impossible to maintain normality under those conditions.
"It is evident that you cannot sit on a terrace where there is garbage nearby" - Xavier Garcia, president of the Girona Hospitality Association
The conflict especially affects the bars and restaurants of the Old Town. The surroundings of Independence Square suffer the most direct consequences of the lack of collection.
Some establishments opted to put the garbage bags back inside upon seeing that no one was collecting them. In other cases, the dirt remained on the public road throughout the day.
Concern about the city's image
Mercè Ramírez de Cartagena, president of Girona Centre Eix Comercial, showed her concern about the contrast between the floral decoration and the waste.
"Everyone has the right to strike and we do not come to assess whether it is adequate or not, because in the end we are in the middle and suffer the consequences" - Mercè Ramírez de Cartagena, president of Girona Centre Eix Comercial
Ramírez warned that visitors' perception could be seriously damaged. If there are flower beds and next to them it is full of trash, people will comment more on the trash than on the flowers.
Valeria del Arca, waitress at the L'Altell cafeteria, expressed her frustration at the demand to make payments linked to an inoperative service.
Tension grows as the city awaits the start of the celebrations. Girona's image now depends on how quickly the labor dispute is resolved.