France's CGT union says "no Christmas break" in transport strike

France's CGT union said on Thursday there would be no break in transport strikes over the Christmas period unless the government backed down on pension reform.

"No Christmas break unless the government comes to its senses", Laurent Brun, head of CGT's railway branch, said on French radio Franceinfo.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Wednesday French people needed to work two years longer to get a full pension, drawing a hostile response from trade unions who said they would step up strike action to force an about-turn.