Paris  - French civil service and railway workers were set to strike late Monday and Tuesday to protest against various reforms undertaken by the government of President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Trade unions representing some 5.2 million civil servants have called for a one-day job walkout to demand a halt to the government's plans to cut 23,000 jobs by the end of
2008 and to a proposal to encourage geographical flexibility among public sector workers.

French railway workers were set to begin a work stoppage of at least 36 hours late Monday to protest a reform of the SNCF rail network's freight division.

About one of two scheduled regional trains were expected to be running during the strike, with the high-speed TGV train service foreseen to be less affected.

The strikes come amid a series of actions by fishermen and lorry drivers to protest the soaring cost of fuel oil. In addition, on June 17, a national job action has been called to protest against the government's plans to reform pensions and weaken the 35-hour working week. (dpa)