FRANCE: Strike: Rail misery as three-month action tests Macron

France’s rail network has been severely disrupted, as a wave of strikes against President Emmanuel Macron’s labour reforms gets under way. The start of the strike has been dubbed “Black Tuesday”, but the action will spread over three months, affecting two days in every five. Staff at state railway SNCF are leading the strike, but […]

France’s rail network has been severely disrupted, as a wave of strikes against President Emmanuel Macron’s labour reforms gets under way.

The start of the strike has been dubbed “Black Tuesday”, but the action will spread over three months, affecting two days in every five.

Staff at state railway SNCF are leading the strike, but the energy and waste collection sectors are also affected.

The unrest presents Mr Macron’s biggest challenge since his election last May.

The unions say some of the plans to overhaul the heavily indebted SNCF would pave the way for its privatisation.

But Prime Minister Édouard Philippe denied this, saying the proposals aim to change the status quo that was “no longer tenable”.

In parliament, he added: “If the strikers are to be respected, the millions of French people who want to go to work, because they have no choice, because they want to go to work, must also be respected.”