Aug 13 (Reuters) - The Canadian Union of Public

Employees, representing more than 10,000 Air Canada ( ACDVF )

cabin crew, on Wednesday gave the airline a 72-hour deadline to

reach a pay deal or face strike, hours after the carrier asked

sought federal government intervention.

The strike is set to begin at about 1 a.m. ET on Saturday.

Earlier this month, 99.7% of employees represented by the union

voted for a strike.

The airline, which has warned of potential flight

disruptions, declared a deadlock in negotiations on Tuesday,

after the union rejected its proposal for binding arbitration.

The carrier had offered a 38% increase in total compensation

for flight attendants over four years, with a 25% raise in the

first year.

However, the union said the offer was "below inflation,

below market value, below minimum wage - and still leaves flight

attendants unpaid for all hours of work".

Most airlines pay cabin crew only for time spent in flight,

but flight attendants in North America are seeking pay for all

hours worked, including boarding and waiting at airports before

and between flights.

The airline had on Wednesday issued a lockout notice to

employees, which would start 32 minutes after the strike begins.