SANTIAGO, Chile — A 24-hour ****** by civil aviation workers in Chile grounded dozens of departing flights and affected thousands of passengers, officials said on Tuesday.

The ****** began at midnight with nearly 4,000 workers demanding improved labour conditions and came just days before a Sept. 18 national holiday celebrating the country’s independence, a time when many people travel.

Hundreds of Chileans and tourists were ******** at the international airport in the capital, Santiago, and hundreds more stayed at home because they knew the ****** was coming.

“Our flight was scheduled for today but it has been changed for Sept. 17. So we’re stuck here for two days,” said Iuri Farias, 42, a Brazilian tourist trying to return to Rio de Janeiro.

Director of Civil Aviation Maximiliano Larraechea said Tuesday the ****** is affecting all of Chile’s airports and airfields and flights will not take off during the stoppage. ******* companies began rescheduling flights ahead of the ******, and only landings and ********* flights were being allowed.

Economy Minister Felipe Cespedes said the ****** is illegal and called on workers to begin talks.

Workers “have all the opportunities to ****** a constructive, positive dialogue, that doesn’t affect the functioning of a critical service affecting thousands of tourists and Chileans who were unable fly today.”