Spain: 6,000 Tonnes Of Rubbish On City Streets

Days of strikes by dustmen in Seville have seen 6,000 tonnes of stinking rubbish pile up on the streets of the Spanish city.

Litter lies strewn across the Andalusian city's historic and narrow streets as wheelie bins overflow and plastic bags rip apart.

City dwellers say the stench is becoming unbearable, as the strike stretches into its 10th day.

Some 100 wheelie bins were set on fire during the night, an action the strikers have been quick to stress has nothing to do with them.

The 1,600 workers at the Lipsam municipal cleaning company went out on strike on January 27 in a dispute over their pay and hours.

The refuse collectors have been asked by the regional government to take a 5% pay cut and to work longer.

However, Lipsam says the measures are not justified.

There have been three meetings to try to break the strike action, but talks have not been successful.

The regional government in Andalusia has said it needs to make cuts because it has been told to put its finances in order.

There have been two similar strikes in the region's other big tourist cities, Granada and Jerez, in the last three months.