Politicians in France have called on pilots from the state airline, Air France, to reconsider their plans for a strike due to start today Monday.

The action, which centres on the pilots' refusal to accept pay cuts, is likely to disrupt travel arrangements for football fans heading to France for the World Cup.

The Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot said both sides in the dispute should hold talks straight away.

A left-wing member of parliament, Georges Sarre, accused the pilots of blackmail ahead of the World Cup and denounced them as the damned of the earth.

Air France, which is the official World Cup airline, is expected to cancel most of its flights; but it has promised to ensure that all the teams taking part in the tournament arrive on time for their matches.