Rome "at risk of epidemic" over accumulated rubbish says Codacons.

Rome's refuse agency AMA participated in a nationwide 24-hour rubbish collection strike on Monday 30 May, resulting in heaps of trash piling up on many streets around the capital.

The city's outgoing commissioner Paolo Francesco Tronca has called on AMA to make an "extraordinary effort" to catch up with cleaning the capital over the rest of the week, which includes a public holiday for Festa della Repubblica on Thursday 2 June.

The trade unions, whose members were protesting over long-standing contractural issues, said the "successful" strike saw 90  per cent participation in cities across Italy.

The rubbish accumulated around Rome was putting the capital "at risk for the spread of an epidemic" according to consumer body Codacons which appealed to Rome prosecutors to open an investigation into the matter.

Separately a public transport strike is taking place in Rome on 31 May.

The strikes come ahead of the city's upcoming mayoral elections.