Brazilian workers have declared a 24-hour partial strike at three airports in the 2014 FIFA World Cup host city of Rio de Janeiro.
The industrial action will hit the airports on Thursday, the first day of the World Cup in Brazil.
Ground staff, however, pledged to maintain 80 percent service.
The strike, which will take effect at midnight, is expected to cause delays as thousands of football fans are pouring into the tourist-magnet city to watch World Cup matches.
The opening match will be held in Sao Paulo on Thursday but the first match in Rio on Sunday.
The workers’ union wants World Cup bonuses, better working conditions and salary hikes of up to 12 percent, but employers agreed with a maximum of eight percent.
“After nine months of intense but failed negotiations and intransigence from employers, the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Airports Employees’ Union confirms it will strike on June 12,” the union said on its website.
Brazil has seen almost daily protests and strikes over the $11-billion expense of the World Cup. Critics say the money should rather be invested in better health, education services, transportation, and housing for Brazilians. They also accuse the Brazilian government of corruption in deals related to the infrastructures of the games, Press TV informs.
