France's railway strike moved into a fourth day on Saturday, despite a call from one of the main unions for its suspension to allow talks to get underway.
The state-owned SNCF railway company said 180 out of 700 TGV fast trains were operating and 40 percent of regional trains. On the Paris underground, only one train in five was running.
The number of strikers has been in steady decline since the dispute over pension reform began on Wednesday, but services have only marginally improved. On Friday the fourth largest railway union, the French Democratic Labour Confederation (CFDT), urged members to resume work, arguing that the strike was losing steam.
"Continuing the movement will bring us nothing. The number of strikers is decreasing daily. But in negotiations, strength comes when you have a large number of strikers," said Jean-Louis Malys, head of the CFDT's railway branch.
President Nicolas Sarkozy has offered tripartite talks between unions, employers and government, but he says they cannot begin until the strike is called off.
"You don't negotiate with a pistol to your temple," he said on Thursday. The stoppages are costing the French economy 400 million euros a day, Le Figaro newspaper reported. In Paris, some small businesses have shut for the duration of the strike because of the transport problem.
The strike was triggered by government plans to reform so-called "special" pensions systems enjoyed by 500,000 workers, mainly in the rail and energy sectors, as well as 1.1 million pensioners. In his May election campaign, Sarkozy promised to increase contribution periods for these workers, who currently can retire two and a half years earlier than the rest of the population.
Polls show that a majority of the public supports the reform, which forms part of a wider government plan to increase contribution periods to take account of lengthening life-spans. On Sunday campaigners against the transport strike have called for a demonstration in central Paris.
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