The affected plants, which produce mainly gasoline and diesel for motorists, represent just over a third of France's oil refining capacity.

Striking workers at the 109,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Feyzin refinery near Lyon voted to prolong the movement until at least Thursday, when they are due to meet plant management, a CGT official at the site said.

Workers at the 247,000 bpd Gonfreville refinery in Normandy and the 153,000 bpd La Mede plant in the south are due to hold fresh votes later on Tuesday, officials said.

(Reporting by Gus Trompiz; Editing by Sybille de La Hamaide)