Commuters board a train, in Gare du Nord railway station, in Paris, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. Paris metro warns over major strike, transport chaos Friday. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PARIS (AP) — A massive strike paralyzed Paris public transports today as unions protested a sweeping pension reform by French President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

Paris public transport company RATP said 10 metro lines were closed and several others, including the RER suburban rail, were severely disrupted. Buses and trams were also affected.

On platforms, messages in French and English were warning passengers of the strike, the biggest since 2007.

Trains that were still circulating were noticeably less crowded than usual, as authorities recommended people living in the Paris region to work from home or choose other means of transport.

The government website monitoring roads showed major traffic jams in and around the French capital.

RATP employees are protesting a pension reform planned for next year that is expected to make them work longer before retirement.

At Le Vesinet, west of Paris, commuter Benjamin Royoux, who uses his electric scooter to circulate in Paris city center, said he was “rather pleasantly surprised” to find that there were trains every 15 minutes.

RATP employees are among workers from some specific professions who benefit from a special pension regime, currently allowing them to retire with a full pension earlier than most French people.