Rats and stink at Paper Reclaim a health hazard

Rats and stink at Paper Reclaim a health hazard

An exploding rat population and increasingly unpleasant smells are turning the Paper Reclaim plant in Penrose into a health hazard says NDU organiser Syd Keepa.

NDU members at the plant have been on strike since last Tuesday.

Mr Keepa says the nature of the plant means rats are always present and there is always a smell but these problems are normally kept under control as waste is processed.

“It is always a dirty, smelly and dangerous job working with the materials that are handled here. The used milk containers smell and attract rats. The yard has been filling up for a week now as trucks continue to deliver material, but none of it is being processed, so you can imagine the state of the place,” he says.

Mr Keepa says the striking workers want a pay increase of $1 an hour to compensate for the constant price increases they face.

“Many of these workers are paid less than $15 an hour for doing very unpleasant work. They are cleaning up after the rest of us and not being paid enough to support their families on.”

ENDS

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