Summary

Yesterday – or “Black Tuesday” as it’s being called in the media – saw the launch of a massive labor action spearheaded by four of the main rail unions under France’s state-owned SNCF. In all, some 77% of SNCF drivers are said to be participating.

The strikes slowed rail service to a crawl throughout the country on Tuesday, and they are expected to persist for three months on a rotating schedule of two of every five days.

The showdown comes after President Emmanuel Macron pushed through a series of labor reforms aimed at boosting labor productivity and stimulating GDP growth following a tepid economic recovery after the Great Recession.