France's government, scrambling to end a wave of protests that could disrupt the Euro 2016 soccer championship, has called for an end to a rail strike and told pilots their own plans to stop work were "irresponsible".
An open-ended national stoppage on the railways went through its third day on Friday, reducing train services by about half, a week before the June 10 opening of a soccer tournament expected to draw some 2.5 million fans, many from abroad.
The disruption was compounded by the worst flooding in at least 30 years as the Seine river broke its banks in the centre of Paris, forcing the closure of a commuter train line and a halt to barge transport on top of massive traffic jams on inundated motorways.
But there was little disruption to the Paris underground train network despite a strike call by the CGT union, and the SNCF rail company said the number of staff who stopped work on Friday fell to 10 per cent, down from 17 per cent on Wednesday.
Transport Minister Alain Vidalies said the government had satisfied union demands to protect rest periods for rail workers and help with the 50-billion-euro ($A77.15 billion) debt of SNCF, saying the CGT should call off its action.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"It's time to acknowledge the progress that's been made and to get back to work," the minister told RTL radio.
The Socialist government has intervened in internal talks on a reorganisation of the SNCF, and made concessions to avert an air traffic controllers' strike.
But it faces a walkout by pilots at flag carrier Air France next week.
"This is irresponsible," Vidalies said, adding that nobody would understand why a stoppage over planned pay curbs was timed to start one day into the month-long soccer festival.
Two unions representing the majority of Air France pilots have given notice of a strike from June 11 to 14 and said they might schedule further stoppages.
The CGT is also spearheading strikes at refineries and nuclear power stations in a bid to force the government to withdraw a reform of labour laws that would make hiring and firing easier.
French oil and gas company Total said it had ordered a resumption of operations at its 220,000 barrels-a-day Donges refinery after 94 per cent of 650 staff voted to resume work after a two-week walkout.
It said a majority of workers at its Grandpuits refinery also voted to stop striking.
However, CGT union officials have rejected the ballots at the two refineries. They said strikes will continue and operations will not resume.
