PARIS (AFP) - Strikers protesting at an inadequate pay offer hit 16 of the 26 Ikea stores in France Saturday – one was forced to close.

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Management said some 500 of the 5,500 staff had not turned up for work on Saturday, one of the busiest days of the week, while the CGT union claimed almost 50 percent of workers took part in the stoppage.

Stores were picketed by strikers but the only one to close was at Franconville in the Paris suburbs, where manageress Claire Hery said there had been a threat of strong action by unions.

The unions are demanding a four percent pay rise for 2010, while the company has proposed one percent across the board and another one percent on merit.

Catherine Bendayan, Ikea France's deputy general director said on Saturday there was "no question of going further" with the pay offer, particularly as turnover had fallen.

Bendayan said she hoped to maintain dialogue with the unions to resolve the strike, which she described as "a bit historic".

The CGT union said there could be a pause in the strike on Sunday, when employees are paid 225 percent of their normal wage.

The company reported record earnings of 21.5 billion euros (30.1 billion dollars) for the year to August 31, 2009, up by 1.4 percent, despite a fall in demand for its products.

Ikea, known for its flat-pack ready to assemble furniture, is an unlisted, family-owned company which employs 123,000 people worldwide and has 267 stores in 25 countries, with another 34 operating under franchise.

In June, it said it had slashed 5,000 jobs to cope with the drop in demand brought about by the global economic crisis.

Europe represents 80 percent of Ikea's sales, while North America makes up for 15 percent and the Asia-Australia region five percent.