French rail staff begin months of strikes in test for Macron

The strike will cause chaos for France's 4.5 million train passengers, with stoppages planned two days out of five until June 28 unless Macron drops his bid to force a major overhaul at rail operator SNCF

French rail workers kicked off three months of rolling strikes yesterday, part of a wave of industrial action that will test President Emmanuel Macron's resolve to reshape France with sweeping reforms.

The strike will cause chaos for France's 4.5 million train passengers, with stoppages planned two days out of five until June 28 unless Macron drops his bid to force a major overhaul at rail operator SNCF.

Staff at Air France, garbage collectors and some energy workers are also staging separate walkouts in a growing atmosphere of social strife. Pensioners, students and public sector workers have already taken to the streets in recent weeks protesting against the 40-year-old centrist's widespread reform plans.

"In the most tense social climate since the start of the Macron presidency, there is a real risk of the discontent crystallising," the Charente Libre newspaper warned.

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