Commuters in France have faced more travel chaos as SNCF rail workers went on strike over plans to change the country's pension system.

Half of all regional train services were cancelled on Tuesday, leaving passengers scrambling to find alternative transport.  

The Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) - the second largest Union in France - called for strike action.  Union members from across the public sector gathered at the Place de la République in central Paris - demanding better pension pay and rights.

Philippe Martinez, the CGT Secretary-General told CGTN: "The Government's motto [seems to be] 'work longer, earn less', but ours is to retire sooner with a pension that's substantial enough that people can live on."

The pension regime specific to SNCF workers allows train drivers to retire between 7 and ten years earlier than the normal retirement age of 62 for a full public pension.

It's seen as compensation for difficult working conditions.

But President Emmanuel Macron wants to merge France's 42 different pension systems into a single points-based system, which critics say will reduce their retirement privileges.

CGT Union Member Gaelle Martinez told CGTN: "We don't want our working conditions to be aggravated, we don't want to lose our pensions, we don't want to work longer, we don't want to earn less. That's why there are so many people here [protesting], it's not the first time and I don't think it will be the last time. We want Macron to hear what we have to say, we don't want this reform."

The Secretary of State for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, said in Le Parisien newspaper on Tuesday: "My goal is to reduce fears and tensions. We need to build a balanced, fair and understandable pension system for every French citizen. We'll have to take into account every profession's difficult and dangerous working conditions."

The Government has promised to listen to public opinion after criticism in the past for turning a deaf ear. Tuesday's strike was the second transport walk-out in recent weeks and there could be more disruption ahead.

Metro workers are threatening to strike again in December, unless they get more reassurances from the Government.