French Rail Strike ? what you need to know about the biggest challenge facing President Emmanuel Macron

By Haya Wakil

French rail workers have decided to go on a strike for two out of five working days in a week—a pattern that will be continued for the next three months. The strike is one of the most massive protests against French President Emmanuel Macron’s labour reforms. The decision to launch a nationwide strike was made by four major unions at state railways. SNCF, France’s expansive rail network, is leading this strike, which also includes workers from the energy and garbage collection sectors.

The strike will impact around 4.5 million passengers across France. According to SNCF, approximately 85% of high speed trains and 75% of regional trains are affected. Over the weekend, air traffic controllers also joined French rail workers, as well as Air France staff in taking part in the unprecedented strike, the Independent reported. Commuters were reportedly forced to travel either by private cars or bus services, which led to overcrowding in buses and traffic gridlocks.

The strike is protest against Macron’s recent economic proposal. Credit: Flickr Commons

Why strike now?

The strike began on 3 April, which is now being referred to as “Black Tuesday”. This nationwide walkout is in resistance to Macron’s pro-business initiatives, which are designed to increase competition in the public sector.

Macron’s main presidential agenda was economic reforms in the country. His earlier reforms on labour met with less resistance. However, the recent proposal to cut the benefits of SNCF workers in order to reduce the railway’s debt, sparked widespread outrage.

According to a BBC report, SNCF workers are provided with generous benefits, including automatic annual pay rises, early retirement, protection from dismissal, and more. Workers are currently even entitled to complete job security and the right to retire in their 50s.

However, SNCF workers are forced to comply with several restrictions—life is not always a bed of roses for them. For instance, workers must be under 30 years of age, to pass the written and physical tests, when applying for a position. Workers must also be prepared for long hours of work in difficult conditions.

Those participating in the strike believe that Macron’s proposal is the first step towards privatising the national rail system. Macron also wants to appoint contractors through which workers can be hired—a process not currently in place.

French Prime Minister, Édouard Philippe, warned of difficult days ahead in the battle of wills between Macron and the unions. Meanwhile the firebrand leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon said the country was witnessing the “start of a social power struggle almost unknown in France,” the Guardian reported.

This nationwide walkout is in resistance to Macron’s pro-business initiatives, which are designed to increase competition in the public sector. Credit: Flickr Commons

Strikes are old hat to the French

The ongoing strike is Macron’s biggest challenge since he was elected president, and is being compared to Margaret Thatcher’s face-off with miners in the 1980s. It is believed that this might be the biggest strike since the series of general strikes that took place in France in 1995. Then too, the strike was led by transport employees and joined by postal, electricity and airport workers. What is more, much like now, the strike was in protest against cuts proposed for workers’ benefits.

However, unlike the 1995 strike, the recent politically charged protest appears to have less sympathetic support from the general public. Moreover, the reform plans were inevitable, mainly because economic reforms were know to be Macron’s main agenda.

Railways—heralded as a state treasure—has always been a controversial issue in French politics. Unlike British Railways which was privatised in the 1990s, French Railways is still under government control. Currently, SNCF has a debt of $57.7 billion. The debt amounts to more than the overall debt of some smaller countries like Croatia and Iceland. However, the rail union believes that since they are protesting for workers in all industrial sectors, they maybe able to pressure the government on reconsidering its plans.

Meanwhile, the French government is looking to push through the reforms as soon as possible, and if necessary, employ the special executive decree, which bypasses parliament voting.

“I respect the strikers; the right to strike is constitutionally guaranteed. But if the strikers must be respected, then the millions of French people who want to go to work should also be respected, the millions who need to travel should also be heard. I salute them, they have difficult days ahead of them because the strike has been organised to have maximum impact on passengers,” The French prime minister reportedly told lawmakers earlier this week.

As the strike continues, it remains to be seen whether Macron will be able to bring about a peaceful and mutually agreeable resolution to the matter.