U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama announced his support on Thursday for airline service workers on strike at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), saying their demands "aren't unreasonable."

"Today, I stand with the airline service workers on strike at Los Angeles International Airport. The demands they're fighting for aren't unreasonable -- access to health care, adequate training, proper equipment, wages that can support a family -- that's what America's workers deserve," Obama said in a statement.

But the announcement came six days after the workers put down their picket signs and returned to work.

The employees who provide "curb-to-cabin" services for major airlines at LAX returned to work last Friday, one day after they went on strike over issues of wages, benefits and allegedly unfair labor practices.

The return to work was part of a three-week "cooling-off" period, during which time the Service Employees International Union Local 1877 agreed to refrain from picketing the airport.

A spokesman for Obama's campaign was not immediately available to comment on the timing of his support.

"Their efforts send a strong signal that it's not good for workers, passengers or the industry when business fails to live up to its end of the bargain," Obama said.

The 2,500 airline service workers, who earn about 10 U.S. dollars an hour, are not employed by the airlines, but by several sub-contractors like Aero Port Services, Air Serv and American Building Maintenance.

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2008)