Macron signs SNCF reform decree as rail unions plan more strikes

French President Emmanuel Macron enacted a legislation on Wednesday to make the debt-ridden rail operator SNCF more competitive at a time when unions opposed to the new law plan further strikes for the peak of summer holidays.

Accompanied by transport minister Elisabeth Borne and government spokesperson Benjamin Griveaux, Macron promulgated the bill in front of media, a breakthrough for the pro-business president after a month-long showdown with rail unions.

"The SNCF now has all the assets to succeed," Macron said.

"With this law promulgated today, the government and the parliament have taken their responsibility to do what has been avoided or denied for so many decades," he added.

As part of reforms drive he pledged to revive the economy, the government targets to open up the domestic rail passenger services to create dynamism in the sector in addition to new recruitment rules to create "a more efficient and unified" rail operator.

The French government offered to absorb 35 billion euros of the SNCF's debt load of some 46 billion euros.

Besides, it proposed to scrap the preferential terms of rail workers, including retirement on full pension at 52, a decade earlier than other French employees.

Refusing the company's entire shake-up, unions staged a series of month-long rolling nationwide rail strikes between April and June, shutting down service for two out of every five days.

The CGT, the country's most powerful rail union, plans more actions on July 6 and 7.