PARIS — In the first year of his presidency, Emmanuel Macron has pushed business-friendly labor laws through Parliament, made it easier for companies to hire and fire, cut the wealth tax and decentralized collective bargaining. Through it all, France’s most militant unions have resisted.

His changes, which set out to reshape the way France’s economy and society work, are now facing increasing pushback from labor groups. For weeks, unions have staged a series of strikes to oppose efforts to make the nation’s main railway system, the SNCF, more competitive. And unions representing Air France-KLM staff on Monday called for new strikes after rejecting a pay proposal.

The discontent is emerging as a test of his ability to stick with pledges to enhance France’s economic competitiveness and global leadership, which helped usher him to an electoral victory last May.

While Mr. Macron’s economic changes do not take aim at the nation’s flagship air carrier, his administration has inserted itself directly into the fight, warning labor leaders that they risked driving Air France to the brink of calamity.