Unions representing cabin crew at Air France have called for a four-day strike at the end of July, threatening to disrupt the travel of thousands of passengers during peak season.

Representatives of seven unions - including the powerful CGT and CFDT – called for a walkout from July 29th until August 1st.

The protest has been organised against a reorganisation of flight attendants’ work at regional hubs that Air France is setting up to counter competition from low-cost airlines.

Pilots at Qantas Airlines confirmed they would begin their own industrial action later this week in a similar dispute.

“We refuse to become victims of productivity,” read a joint statement from the unions involved

“More than 80 per cent of cabin crew say they are tired and any increase in workload is absolutely unacceptable.”

Air France will open its first provincial hub in Marseilles in October.

Nice, Toulouse and Bordeaux are set to following in spring 2012, as Air France seeks to cut costs and boost market share in the short- and mid-hail markets.