FRENCH AVIATION workers have announced a four-day strike next week over a controversial new labour law under which unions would have to issue strike notice 48 hours ahead of any stoppage.

The pilots’ union SNPL says it is calling for a strike, saying that the legislation constitutes a government threat to the right to strike and does not guarantee service for passengers.

SNPL has called on its members to strike from 12.01am on 6 February until 23.59pm on 9 February.

UPI reports that the legislation has already been passed by France’s lower house and is awaiting vote in the senate.

Air France has said that due to the strike, it expects to operate at least 85 per cent of its long-haul flights and 80 per cent of medium-haul flights on Monday. It said that the level of disruption to its schedule would depend on how many employees join the strike, and that some passengers due to travel over those four days can change or postpone their trip.

As the airline workers do not currently have to issue strike notice, Air France said it could not yet gauge how many of its staff would strike.

Affected passengers will be contacted by phone, text or email, the airline said in a statement.