The labor dispute between the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) and the drivers’ union came to an end on Wednesday afternoon. Drivers affiliated with the Confederation of National Unions (CSN) voted 88% in favor of the agreement in principle, ending the strike. 935 employees will return to work Thursday morning, Labor Minister Jean Boulet wrote on Twitter.
The new collective agreement provides for wage changes and raises totaling 18% over 5 years, which the union says should “improve our track record in attracting and retaining workers.”
The union also claims to have profited from using subcontractors. “One of the main gains of the contract for drivers concerns Flexibus, currently operated as a sub-contractor, which will be gradually taken over locally and operated by RTC drivers from March 2027, before being fully privatized by 2030,” the union said.
“The settlement our members have now agreed to is a good one for both parties and both come out as winners,” commented union president Helen Ford.
At the time of writing, the employer, RTC, is yet to comment.
The strike was particularly vocal because no essential services were being maintained except for – which is usually the case with public transport services in big cities.
By ruling thus, the Administrative Labor Tribunal (TAT) itself indicated that it was reversing the status quo of 40 years based on essential services. In this case, he had ruled that the union and the employer were not bound by the duty to maintain essential services.
RTC serves a population of 580,000, operates 449 standard buses, 109 articulated buses and 64 hybrid minibuses.
Watch the video
“Music geek. Coffee lover. Devoted food scholar. Web buff. Passionate internet guru.”
