Société de transport de Montréal (STM) confirms that the suspension of the strike by its maintenance employees will allow it to offer uninterrupted service starting Wednesday morning, but warns that the return to normal will be gradual.
The union representing the 2400 maintenance employees, affiliated with the CSN, announced that its strike, which has been ongoing since the beginning of November, will be suspended at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, in order to give negotiations a chance.
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STM buses will begin circulating on the streets of the metropolis at 6:15 a.m., while metro trains will be in operation from 6:30 a.m. There will be no interruption outside of peak hours as in recent days.
The transport company specifies that customers will be able to use the network at any time, but warns that the return to normal will be gradual throughout the day.
Regular service will be fully restored only on Thursday.
By suspending its strike, the union hopes that Labour Minister Jean Boulet will refrain from advancing the application of his law which would allow him to intervene in the labour dispute.
This law, which is due to come into effect on Nov. 30, will give the minister the power to regulate a strike when it disproportionately affects the population.
Before the union announced the suspension of its strike on Tuesday, Boulet had said he wanted to introduce another bill on Wednesday in order to bring forward the entry into force of Bill 14.
Although the maintenance workers’ strike has been called off, the strike by bus drivers and metro operators, planned for Saturday and Sunday, could still take place.
The Administrative Labour Tribunal held a hearing on Monday regarding which essential services should be maintained during the two-day strike. It is expected to issue its decision shortly.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
