Philippe Martinez is pictured during a demonstration against pension reform on December 10
Philippe Martinez is pictured during a demonstration against pension reform on December 10 AFP / Bertrand GUAY

The boss of a hardline French trade union on Friday vowed to press on with a strike that has crippled transport in Paris for the past three weeks and is now the longest-lasting such action since the 1980s.

The strike against pension reforms championed by President Emmanuel Macron began on December 5 and has cast a long shadow over celebrations in France for Christmas and the New Year.

Now on day 23, the union stoppage is longer than the notorious 22-day strike of the winter of 1995 under late president Jacques Chirac against welfare cutbacks which forced the then government into a U-turn.

Demonstrators joined a protest on December 17 against the French government plan to overhaul the retirement system
Demonstrators joined a protest on December 17 against the French government plan to overhaul the retirement system AFP / Bertrand GUAY

The longest transport strike in France lasted for 28 days, also over Christmas, in 1986 and early 1987.

"It's a strong movement and still supported by public opinion," said Philippe Martinez, secretary general of the CGT union as he visited picketing workers at a bus depot.

Train services have been slashed because of the strike in France
Train services have been slashed because of the strike in France AFP / STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN

He lashed out at Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who has said he wants no confrontation with the strikers, accusing him of not being true to his word.

Rail and metro traffic remains severely disrupted on the 23rd day of a strike against the French government's pension reform
Rail and metro traffic remains severely disrupted on the 23rd day of a strike against the French government's pension reform AFPTV / Hassan AYADI

"The government shows how agitated it is with this kind of conception of social dialogue," said Martinez.

Protesters take part in a demonstration near Gare de l'Est train station in Paris on December 26
Protesters take part in a demonstration near Gare de l'Est train station in Paris on December 26 AFP / STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN

The strike was still paralysing transport in Paris on Friday, day the French capital should be crammed with shoppers seeking post-Christmas bargains or preparing for the New Year.

There appears to be no end in sight to the current movement with talks between the government and unions only set to resume on January 7.

Just two two driverless metro lines were working normally Friday and five lines were completely shut down. National rail operator SNCF said six out of every 10 high-speed TGV trains were running.

Union activists also blocked four depots of Paris buses -- which have largely kept running in the strikes with a much reduced service -- early Friday before being dispersed peacefully by Paris police, the local authorities said.

The unions are demanding that the government drops a plan to merge 42 existing pension schemes into a single, points-based system.

The overhaul would see workers in certain sectors -- including the railways -- lose early retirement benefits.

The government says the pension overhaul is needed to create a fairer system.