Paris: Railway workers' strike against railway reforms enters third week, millions of commuters affected

A strike called by rail worker's entered the third week in Paris as students and civil servants also joined the demonstration against the reforms in country's labour law proposed by President Emmanuel Macron.

The crowd urged against the privatisation of railways as they expressed their anger through lighting up flares and raising slogans against the Macron.

A clash between police and demonstrator also broke out during the protest. Water cannons and tear gas were used by the deployed force to disperse the crowd.

Emmanuel Macron came under fire recently as he made a controversial proposal to privatise its debt-ridden SNCF railway company.

The state-owned railway firm which operates most of the railway network of France is currently on the decline. It is reportedly under dept of €45 billion.

On Tuesday parliament's lower house passed a reform bill under which special employment benefits inlcuding job-for life guarantee and early retirement were scrapped.

A new bill was also designed to tighten France’s immigration and asylum policies.

The strike is continuing from last two weeks and has caused a major disruption to millions of commuters as the rail workers halted the train services.

According to news agency Reuters, just one in three high-speed TGV trains were running and SNCF management saying more than 20 per cent of staff stopped its work.

On Thursday as well a protest march was called. The General Confederation of Labour Union reportedly said that 300,000 people demonstrated across the country. However, the Interior Ministry put the figure at 119,500. 

The police reportedly counted 11,500 marchers in Paris.

Media reports say that the protests can continue tithe ll end of June.