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Rail workers in France vow to keep strike going

RAIL STRIKES are set to continue in France despite parliament voting through President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial reforms to state rail operator SNCF on Wednesday.

The vote in the National Assembly comes after three months of rolling strike action by rail workers against Mr Macron’s plans to open the rail network to the private sector as dictated by European Union (EU) rules.

Members of France’s lower house voted 452 to 80 in favour of the bill with 27 abstentions. It was ratified in the Senate yesterday.

However General Confederation of Labour (CGT) general secretary Philippe Martinez warned “this strike is far from over” with further action planned until the end of this month.

Unions are angry at Mr Macron’s neoliberal reform package which will also see workers’ terms and conditions slashed.

The rail reforms are seen as part of wider attacks with Mr Macron promising to axe more than 120,000 public-sector jobs over the next five years.

Under these plans, the state will absorb €35 billion (£31bn) of SNCF debt meaning the rail operator will turn into a joint-stock company, which unions see as a step towards privatisation.

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