The strike has started earlier this week after Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand proposed a series of reforms which effectively puts an end to the so-called special pension regimes instituted in the 1930s for workers in the railway and energy sectors to compensate them for harsh working conditions.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon reiterated the government's stance that union leaders must call an end to the strike before talks about the reforms can be held. "You can not negotiate and strike at the same time," Fillon said Saturday.

But union leaders have demanded that a meeting be held on establishing a framework for negotiations before they will call an end to the job action.

Nevertheless, points of disagreement between the government and the unions remained.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Wednesday that three proposals in the reform - including increasing the period of contributions to the pension system from 37.5 to 40 years - were non-negotiable. But union leaders insisted that the entire reform proposal be put on the table.

Meanwhile only about one of five scheduled metro trains were operating in Paris on Saturday, with six metro lines totally shut down, according to the RATP transit service.

The SNCF said that about one of four scheduled high-speed TGV trains were running throughout the country, most of them coming in or out of Paris.

Tomorrow, SNCF expects 250 out of 700 TGV trains will run, while RATP warned that traffic will be “very disrupted.''

On Tuesday, civil service workers are to hold a nationwide strike to protest the government's plan to reduce the number of civil servants and to demand higher pay.