Paris: The garbage standoff in Paris, one of the most visible signs of public frustration over President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the minimum retirement age, appears to be finally abating.

The amount of trash on the streets fell to 7800 metric tonnes on Sunday from 9800 tonnes the day before, the biggest drop since garbage collectors went on strike three weeks ago. It slid further on Monday to 7300 tonnes.

Over the weekend, 421 garbage trucks made the rounds in Paris, twice the number of a normal Sunday, according to City Hall.

Three incinerators outside Paris resumed service on Friday, which helped ease the situation.

“We made a big push this weekend,” Emmanuel Grégoire, the deputy mayor for urban planning, told Franceinfo radio on Monday.

The French capital was hit by strikes and violent protests after Macron’s government rammed through an unpopular pension reform without a full parliamentary vote. Unions have planned another day of demonstrations on Tuesday.

Paris authorities said blockades in some garages and treatment centres were still hampering garbage collection. The situation is also exacerbated in narrow streets, where trash heaps are preventing trucks from passing through.