PARIS -- Nationwide strikes are causing major disruptions to trains, planes, schools and other public services in France Thursday as unions set up dozens of street protests across the country.

The secretary general of the CFDT union, Laurent Berger, said on RTL radio the strikes are a warning to President Emmanuel Macron's government.

Public servants want better wages and are protesting against the planned loss of 120,000 jobs by 2022.

Employees of the national railway company SNCF reject a government plan aimed at adapting the company ahead of opening the service to competition.

According to airport authorities, 30 per cent of flights to and from Paris are cancelled. SNCF says 40 per cent of high-speed trains and half of regional trains are running.

The Paris Metro is running normally.