Air France pilots' union calls strike for next week, may coincide with Euro 2016 football tournament

A trade union representing some pilots at Air France said on Wednesday (June 1) it was planning a strike against pay curbs at the end of next week. PHOTO: REUTERS
An Air France A320 aircraft is seen on the tarmac at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Roissy, near Paris, France, on May 31, 2016 as Air France pilots voted on Monday to go on strike ahead of the Euro soccer tournament. PHOTO: REUTERS

PARIS (Reuters) - A trade union representing some pilots at Air France said on Wednesday (June 1) it was planning a strike against pay curbs at the end of next week, raising the risk of travel disruption as the month-long Euro 2016 soccer tournament begins.

The head of the SPAF union, whch represents about 25 per cent of Air France pilots, said it would serve notice of a strike lasting two to four days and would coordinate with the biggest pilots' union, SNPL, which has said it is preparing to strike but had yet to set a date.

The call came on top of an open-ended rail strike that began on Wednesday, halving domestic train services.

Around 2.5 million fans are expected to attend a month of Euro 2016 soccer matches between June 10 and July 10, about 1.5 million of them due in from abroad.

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