Staff at French state rail operator, SNCF, kicked off a strike since President Emmanuel Macron promised to transform the jobs market, DW reported.

The protesters are carrying a huge number of trade union flags, including CGT, SUD Rail, while some of the protesters threw firecrackers.

The reform of the railway company implies the introduction of competition in the railway industry, as well as the elimination of railway workers’ legal status.

Some workers feared that the SNCF reform could lead to its privatization, while the French Minister of Transport noted on Tuesday that the company would not be privatized.