RIO DE JANEIRO, June 9 -- As the start of the 2014 Brazil World Cup nears, the Sao Paulo government prepares for the possibility that a subway workers' strike will drag on into the event, local Transportation Secretary Jurandir Fernandes said Monday.

The subway workers' strike started last week and the city faced chaos as one of its main transportation networks closed down. Over the weekend, a labor court ruled the strike illegal, allowing the company that operates the system to fire dozens of workers.

Earlier on Monday, strike leaders told the authorities that the strikers would return to work if the dismissals were revoked. But there was no agreement and the strike is expected to continue on Tuesday.

Fernandes said he was confident of an eventual agreement, but at the same time the government was already making alternative plans for the World Cup's opening match Thursday afternoon.

One of the alternatives would be allowing access to the stadium an hour earlier, which would give spectators more time to get to the stadium, using other means of transport.

The city government also declared Thursday a holiday, which means there will be fewer commuters to work.

Most of the 12 cities hosting World Cup matches plan to do the same to alleviate traffic.