The leader of the largest French employer federation praised President Macron for his labour law reform proposing measures that would help employers fire workers more easily.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Pierre Gattaz said however that Mr Macron should prepare for mass street protests.
He said: “The hard part of the unions, the CGT for instance, will be on the street. They will be on the street for obvious reasons.”
Mr Gattaz said the French businesses were expecting “a lot” from Mr Macron’s labour reforms and that unions were made aware of the plans a long time ago.
He said: “I think there have been lots of discussions with the unions for months. Lots of meetings, lots of discussions. they are not being taken by surprise because this is part of the programme of Macron.
“They are not being taken by surprise because this is part of the programme of Macron.
However the CGT, one of the unions most vocally opposed to labour reforms, called the proposal a “declaration of war” against workers.
CGT general secretary Jean-Pierre Battestini said: “These proposals are an attack without precedents against the labour code and the collective protections of workers.”
“Dismissals, notably by a conventional breach of contract, will be extended and facilitated while labor compensation will be capped and the seizure periods reduced.”
The union has called a nationwide strike and day of mass protest against the Macron measures for 12 September.
The French labour code is considered to be one of the strictest in Europe.
In 2016, France saw nearly two months of uninterrupted mass street protest against attempts of reform pushed by former President François Hollande.
The growing dissent towards the French Government appears to be in line with the fall in popularity Mr Macron suffered since his election in May.