Militant French truckers lifted road blocks after a brief protest over pay yesterday and promised not to defy police and upset football fans by disrupting the World Cup.

But as the threat of road chaos during the tournament faded, Air France pilots gave notice of a two-week strike due to start on June 1 in protest against the company's plans to cut its wage bill. The pilots will also stage a four-day walk-out from Monday,

Separately, one railway workers' union called on its members to stop work from June 7.

In addition, ferry workers may target the Channel ports of Calais, Boulogne, Ostend and Zeebrugge as tens of thousands of British fans cross for the tournament.

A Scottish supporters' leader last night predicted their renowned resourcefulness will get them around the transport problems threatened during the World Cup - but warned the cost in hard cash and frayed nerves could be high.

Although wage talks between unions and haulage bosses broke down, the truckers' leader Roger Poletti said roadblocks would not resume until after the summer holiday.

''Obviously blockading cities during the cup would not be well received by the public,'' Poletti, of the militant Force Ouvriere (FO) trade union told a news conference.

There have been reports that truckers would attempt to block roads to stadiums, but Poletti said: ''Truckers setting up roadblocks to stadiums would risk being attacked by the public, police and provocateurs.''

But pilots and railway workers were not intimidated and the threatened strikes could badly disrupt the tournament being played in 10 cities around the country.

Jean-Charles Corbet, the president of the main SNPL trade union at national airline Air France, said the union decided on the June 1 strike call after it met with Communist transport minister Jean-Claude Gayssot.

''He did not tell us anything we did not already know,'' Mr Corbet said.

Meanwhile, the militant Sud-Rail trade union called on members at the state railway company SNCF to stop work from June 7 and said it was contacting other trade unions to discuss the stoppage.

Mr Martin Rose, of the National Football Supporters' Association in Scotland, said he expected fans to circumvent the troubles.

However, he warned it would be extremely difficult and also could prove expensive, especially if cars had to be hired over and above travel already paid for.

Mr Rose added: ''It is a matter of concern. At the end of the day, ordinary people will suffer, having already paid large sums for accommodation and travel.

''Our only other hope is that the French government will resolve disputes rather than allow such a bad impression of their country.''

Chaos caused by French strikers is a matter of grim record: a recent rail stoppage brought the network to near standstill, causing 150 miles of traffic jams around Paris alone.

A one-day ferry strike in March saw Calais and the Channel tunnel blocked, stranding users on both sides; a strike over the Bank Holiday weekend forced Air France to cancel 30% of its domestic and medium-haul flights.