London covered in garbage as sanitation workers strike

London is increasingly finding itself drowning in uncollected garbage after sanitation workers went on strike over a pay dispute. Unite, the union representing the workers in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, rejected a substantial pay increase of nearly £2,000 ($2,350) annually, arguing that the raise actually represented a fall once inflation was factored in. The resulting standoff has seen garbage remain uncollected for a second week, with strikes planned to continue until the middle of October. Tower Hamlets, known for its vibrant local markets and rampant voter fraud (allegedly), is now left virtually unable to function as garbage blocks roads and sidewalks to a greater degree than usual. Residents have taken to social media to post pictures and videos, left with little more to do than complain and smell bad. Many have reported seeing a huge rise in rats and other vermin, and they weren’t talking about the local council. Mayor Lutfur Rahman, who was once banned from politics for voter fraud, but returned to power last year with a suspiciously large majority (allegedly), deflected from the literal pile of garbage his borough had turned into, calling it a ‘national pay dispute and not limited to local issues.’