Protesters are demanding the PM's resignation

Approximately two-thirds of Paris metro, suburban and inter-city TGV trains were running normally on Wednesday.

A continuing strike by some air traffic controllers has led to delays of up to 90 minutes at Paris airports, but the situation is expected to return to normal by evening.

The disruption is caused by the latest in a series of strikes over reforms that will force many employees to work longer for their pension.

The scale of the action was said to be small compared with the "Black Tuesday" strike of 13 May, in which transport came to a virtual standstill for two days afterwards.

Fresh strike

This prompted some French newspapers to suggest that opposition to the reforms was weakening.

The action is bringing back memories of 1995

An editorial in the conservative daily Le Figaro said there were signs that the protest movement was running out of steam.

But unions have already promised a new strike by teachers and transport workers on 10 June, the day before the reforms are put before parliament.

On Tuesday, four out of five flights in and out of France were grounded, and public transport in both France and Austria ground almost to a halt.

Italy's national airline, Alitalia, cancelled 200 flights as staff protested against plans to reduce cabin-crew staffing.

In Austria the strike was described as the largest since World War II.

Union officials say 280,000 public sector workers - or 86% of the country's total - took part in the strike.

In France the action is bringing back memories of 1995 protests that plagued the last conservative government.

Postal workers, ambulance drivers, port workers, and air traffic control staff were among those observing the action.

Summer deadline

The French cabinet approved pension reforms last week that will oblige public sector employees to work for 40 years to qualify for a full pension, up from 37.5 years at present.

Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has said he wants the reform approved by parliament before its summer recess, in order to prevent the present system from collapsing.

But the government conceded that talks on decentralising the education system - one of the issues which has brought the country's teachers out on strike - could continue after the recess.

Mr Raffarin has already reached agreement with the country's second-largest union over pension reforms.