France's Macron faces fresh challenge as massive strike looms

Trains cancelled, schools closed: France scrambled to make contingency plans on Tuesday for a huge strike against pension overhauls that poses one of the biggest challenges yet to President Emmanuel Macron's sweeping reform drive.

Paris metro and rail workers will walk off the job starting Thursday, banking on widespread support for their protest against plans they say will require millions to retire later or face reduced pensions.

It is the latest expression of discontent by broad swathes of French society, from police and firefighters to teachers and hospital employees -- as well as a yearlong "yellow vest" movement demanding improved living standards.

Looming over the reform is the spectre of 1995, the last major attempt to change the pension system when weeks of strikes paralysed the country and forced the government to back down.

"The social discontent now is stronger than it was in 1995," according to Bernard Thibault, a former CGT leader during the protests 24 years ago.

The ...