Quebec’s mayor has asked Quebec’s labor minister for swift intervention in the strike by Réseau de transports de la Capitale (RTC) workers that officially began early this Saturday.
Bruno Marchand says minister Jean Poulet must act and “realize that the situation is serious”.
“No [la situation] The harder it is the more intense it will be. […] The Quebec government passed a law a few years ago that says our public transportation is not an essential service and that there is something wrong with that. »
While Minister Boulet did not intend to promulgate a special law, Mayor Marchant indicated that a short-term solution was needed because the situation was “unacceptable”.
“We’ll see what he can come up with, he explains. In the short term, it’s certain that changing the law that makes it an essential service won’t happen. At the same time, it has to be done quickly because there are other negotiations coming up in Quebec and with other union officials in Quebec. If the law doesn’t change, we’re banging our heads against the same wall every time. Let’s hit it, it will affect the citizens of Montreal, Quebec and other cities in Quebec. »
The mayor is calling on the labor minister to go on the ground to “see the damage” such a conflict could do in the long run. He wants to see the law hanging over the province’s public transport services changed to “remove the sword of Damocles”.
Concern about FEQ
Bruno Marchand expressed his concern if the conflict continues until the start of the Festival d’État de Quebec. Quebec City worked upstream in recent weeks to set up a backup plan should the strike continue.
“Everything is on the table. […] However, it will not return to normal. All we can put in place will not cover all the negative effects of stopping public transport. »
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