Overview
- The indefinite strike began this weekend and the workers' committee says nearly the entire 600‑strong workforce has stopped ordinary collection while services mínimos operate by daily lottery.
- Unions insist on preserving a long‑standing partial‑retirement right and on pay rises tied to inflation, and they reject FCC's reported offer of a 0% increase for 2026 followed by modest rises without a salary‑review clause.
- The operational impact is severe with committee estimates of about 350 tonnes of waste not picked up each day, total accumulations reported at roughly 840 to over 1,000 tonnes and residents reporting 'unbearable' odours as temperatures rise.
- Hundreds of workers have marched from FCC offices to Praza do Rei, briefly blocked access to the town hall, and police deployed at the Concello while a municipal concejal met a union delegation but reportedly only 'took note' of demands.
- Unions say they remain open to talks but will continue assemblies, daily draws for minimum staffing and further mobilizations if no deal is reached, and civic groups warn the impasse exposes governance questions about FCC's multi‑hundred‑million concession and could damage health, commerce and the city's image.