1 The government called in unions in a bid to head-off a walkout by air traffic controllers threatening to disrupt national and international air traffic Wednesday.
2 That strike, scheduled for 24 hours, would add to the woes of travelers facing three days of strikes this week by employees of Alitalia, Italy's flag carrier.
3 Flight attendants went out on strike Monday, pilots were scheduled to strike from noon Monday until noon Tuesday and some attendants from another union called a walkout Friday.
4 Alitalia said some flights would operate, but many more were canceled. The airline said no immediate figures were available.
5 The financially ailing carrier and unions are at loggerheads. Particularly irking flight crews has been Alitalia's leasing of aircraft and outside crews from Australia as part of its cost-cutting drives for unprofitable routes.
6 Alitalia wants the unions to agree to more flexibility in scheduling. In addition pilots are seeking an annual pay raise of 24 million lire (dlrs 15,000), a demand rejected by Alitalia.
7 The air traffic controllers called the walkout to press demands for a new contract. The old one expired Dec. 31, 1993.

That strike , scheduled for 24 hours , would add to the woes of travelers facing three days of strikes this week by employees of Alitalia , Italy ' s flag carrier .
woes
Is the strike national in scope?