Rail strikes continue, students protest
PARIS: Millions of French commuters and holidaymakers faced another wave of transport stoppages yesterday, as rail workers protested at President Emmanuel Macron’s economic reform plans.
Train staff last week began three months of nationwide rolling strikes in a dispute over the Government’s planned overhaul of staterun rail firm SNCF, in the biggest challenge yet to Macron’s attempts to modernise the French economy.
Unions have so far called strikes for two days out of every five until the end of June, but some labour unions have already signalled a hardening stance as negotiations with ministers hit a wall. Officials at the communistrooted CGT said on Saturday strikes could drag on well beyond June if nothing shifted.
The SNCF reform has broadly drawn public support so far. Nearly twothirds of people were in favour of the Government facing down the strikers, while 56% thought the train stoppages were unjustified, according to an Ifop poll published yesterday.
Yet discontent is also brewing in other sectors. Students have disrupted several universities across France in protest at a planned new selection system in higher education, and rubbish collectors and other public workers have also held demonstrations.
The various protests come as France prepares to mark the 50th anniversary of the studentled riots of May 1968, which gridlocked the country and led to the adoption of more progressive social policies.