Rolling rail strike continued

Monitoring Desk

PARIS: Millions of commuters across France on Wednesday were facing another wave of crippling transport chaos caused by rolling strikes called by state railway unions to protest reform plans announced by President Emmanuel Macron and his government.

A total of 36 days of rolling strikes — which started on April 3 — are scheduled over three months.

Although the impact of the strike is easing and trains are running, major disruptions still hamper regional mainline services. One high-speed TGV train out of three is operating, as well as two of five regional trains.

Macron on Wednesday urged the unions “to stop blocking” the country as parliament has already voted for the railway reform pact.

Four labor unions have called for action against government plans to revamp the debt-laden SNCF ahead of an opening to competition in 2019. Reforms also include the cancellation of a special status historically given to railway workers by 2020 — which guarantees them a job for life and early retirement — for new recruits.

“The status quo is not viable,” Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said in an interview published in the newspaper Le Parisien on Sunday. “It’s urgent, we need to advance, and everyone should know we are determined to see this through to the end.”

Separately, seven main public sector trade unions called for a one-day strike on May 22 to protest Macron’s plans to reform the eurozone’s second largest economy. AA