French unions launched a day of strikes and protests Tuesday against Emmanuel Macron's flagship labour reforms, a key test as he stakes his presidency on overhauling the sluggish economy. In Paris, traffic was operating at between 50 and 80 percent of normal on suburban lines of the SNCF rail network, while two lines of the suburban RER metro system were hit. The 39-year-old centrist president, who swept to power in May on promises to reinvigorate the economy and transcend left-right politics, used executive orders to fast-track his labour reforms. "This is not a labour law, it is a law that gives full powers to employers," said the CGT's Martinez. Macron is hoping to avoid a re-run of labour protests that rocked France for months last year under his Socialist predecessor Francois Hollande, which repeatedly descended into violence.

Source: The Local September 12, 2017 08:03 UTC