Trash piles up in French cities as strikes continue

Tons of rubbish piled up on streets in Paris and other French cities on Thursday as strikes of transport and waste treatment workers continued on the eve of the Euro 2016 soccer tournament.

The protests were part of a wave of demonstrations and work stoppages led by the hardline General Confederation of Labor union (CGT) to oppose the government's plan to reform the labor law.

The industrial action, which started in French cities such as Paris, Marseille and Saint-Etienne, has disrupted trash collection in the three cities, which will host the annual football tournament in Europe.

Millions of foreign visitors are expected to come to France and watch the month-long championship, which kicks off Friday night when France will confront Romania in the opening match at the Stade de France stadium in Paris.

Photos published by French media showed growing piles of garbage and trash bag barricades set up in front of waste facilities. The CGT union said four out of six garages housing Paris' garbage trucks have been blocked during the week-long protests.

French Ecology Minister Segolene Royal on Thursday called for an end to the "mess" caused by the strikes. It was not right for a modern country to continue being disrupted, she said.

French Finance Minister Michel Sapin on Thursday played down the impact of strikes on growth, saying growth would not be halted due to "meaningless" social action.

"It's natural to protest, but what is the priority of our economy? What is the priority of trade unions? It's employment. Job creation is starting, this is not the time to stop it," he said. Endi