France endures second day of mass rail strikes
The strikes are set to continue two days out of every five until June 28 against President Macron's plan to abolish a benefits system that allows train drivers and others jobs for life.
Empty platforms at the Lyon Perrache railway station, during a nationwide strike by French SNCF railway workers, in Lyon, France, on April 3, 2018.
Millions of French travellers suffered a second day of major disruption on Wednesday as rail workers pressed on with rolling strikes that pose one of the toughest challenges yet to President Emmanuel Macron.
Only one in seven high-speed trains and one in five regional trains were running in stoppages set to continue two days out of every five until June 28, unless Macron backs down on his bid to overhaul heavily-indebted state rail operator SNCF.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has warned of "difficult days ahead" in a battle of wills between Macron and the unions that has earned comparisons with late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher's standoff with coal miners in the 1980s.
Commuters stand on a crowded platform of the Gare de Lyon railway station on April 3, 2018 in Paris, on the first day of a two-day strike.
At Lille station in northeastern France, 56-year-old passenger Marc Cornille was worried the disruption could cost him his temporary job contract.
"I understand their demands, just not the way they're going about it," he said of the rail workers.
French riot police pursue protesters, during a demonstration by French state-owned railway company SNCF workers and students, in Paris, as part of a nationwide strike, France, on April 3, 2018.
The first day of the strike, dubbed "Black Tuesday" by the media, saw similar cancellations, forcing many of France's 4.5 million daily rail passengers to set off hours early, work from home or find other solutions such as carpools.
The lack of trains prompted a second day of gridlock in the Paris region on Wednesday as commuters took to the roads instead, with traffic website Sytadin reporting 350 kilometres of tailbacks – double the usual amount.
An employee pushes a trolley on an empty platform near a TGV high speed train at the Gare de l'Est station in Paris on April 4, 2018.
The conflict
Four unions were set to meet with transport ministry officials on Wednesday afternoon to discuss their bones of contention with the government, which include plans to turn the SNCF into a publicly owned company.
Unions fear this could eventually lead to the mammoth rail operator being privatised, something repeatedly denied by the government.
They also object to plans to strip new hires of guaranteed jobs for life and early retirement, part of a bid to make the SNCF cheaper to operate as EU countries prepare to open passenger rail to competition by 2020.
Sud Rail labour union employees of French state-owned railway company SNCF attend a demonstration in Paris as part of a nationwide strike, France, on April 3, 2018.
Air France staff, garbage collectors and some energy workers also staged separate walkouts on Tuesday in growing atmosphere of discontent 11 months after Macron, a 40-year-old political upstart, came to power.
As the government insisted it would push ahead with the rail reforms, firebrand leftist leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said the country was witnessing the "start of a social power-struggle almost unknown in France."
Students, pensioners and public sector workers, all angry at various aspects of the former investment banker's sweeping reform programme, have already taken to the streets against him.
In October he managed to pass controversial labour reforms as part of his bid to revitalise the French economy, but analysts say the rail standoff could prove a dangerous moment if public opinion swings behind the strikers.
"It won't take much for this to boil over," said Jean-Claude Mailly, head of the hard-left Force Ouvriere union.
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