TWO of the four French railway unions joined air traffic controllers and other public sector workers in a national strike on March 22 in protest against president Mr Emanuel Macron’s plans for labour reform and the perception that rather than seeking a better deal for state workers, who number more than 5 million, he wants to cut back the public sector through redundancies and the use of contract workers. This is Macron’s first real test since he came to power in May 2017.
