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A one-day strike by public transport workers across France has left the country with drastically reduced train, bus and metro services.

Trade unions held nationwide strikes aiming to protect a pension system that offers them special privileges.

With smaller groups voting to continue action into Friday, union leaders will meet on Monday to decide whether to hold more large-scale strikes.

But the government has pledged to continue with its pension reform plans.

Travellers were urged to postpone their journeys, take the day off or work from home as the protests left the country with drastically reduced train, bus and metro services on Thursday.

With only one Parisian subway train in 10 running on most lines, the capital's new Velib self-service bicycle scheme recorded twice as many users than normal.

Museums closed

Several top Parisian tourist attractions, including the Musee d'Orsay and most of the Louvre, were closed.

One can sense the anger rising, and the government has got to take it into account
Jean-Claude Mailly
Workers' Force

French commuter misery
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In pictures: Transport strike

Both the Comedie Francaise theatre and the Opera de Paris cancelled evening performances.

And thousands of striking workers marched through the streets, setting off firecrackers and sounding horns in one of several protests planned across the country.

Unions claimed the action was the biggest for several years, with three-quarters of workers at the state-run SNCF rail company joining the strike.

"The movement is strong, very strong, and there's a large proportion of strikers," said Jean-Claude Mailly, head of the Workers' Force (FO) union.

"One can sense the anger rising, and the government has got to take it into account."

The strikes are the biggest test so far of President Sarkozy's reform package.

He argues that the "special" pension systems, which are enjoyed by 1.6 million rail, energy and other workers, are a relic of the past.


PENSION SYSTEM
Nicolas Sarkozy
President Sarkozy pledged to phase out special regimes during his election campaign
Special regime employees work 37.5 years instead of 40 to receive a full pension
Cost to the French taxpayer is an estimated 5bn euros (£3.5bn, $7bn) this year

Cup final fears

On Thursday, several commuter rail lines were closed, bus and tram services faced disruption in 27 major cities, and just 46 TGV fast trains were running out of the normal 700.

Traffic jams on highways around the capital were half as long as usual.

Friday's extended action by the UNSA union will hit fans of the English and South African rugby union teams converging on Paris for Saturday's World Cup final.

But the SNCF has sought to reassure fans travelling from London that eight out of 10 Eurostar trains would be running, with normal service expected to resume on Friday.

'Calmly but firmly'

Bernard Thibault of the General Labour Confederation had warned more strikes could follow.

Workers were "fed up with being constantly portrayed as privileged or in some way guilty on the issue of pensions", he added.

A crowded Paris metro train
Paris metro trains were packed at rush hour

However, labour minister Xavier Bertrand said on Wednesday that the reforms were "indispensable".

Mr Sarkozy has said he will press ahead with the reforms "calmly but firmly".

Only 6% of pensions are classed as "special regime", which allows beneficiaries to retire after 37.5 years worked, compared with 40 years for other public and private sector employees.

Currently, workers in jobs deemed physically demanding can retire at the age of 50.

The government says the cost to the budget of the special regime will be 5bn euros (£3.48bn) this year.