CANADA A global union federation, the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation), has called for Keolis, a French multinational public transport operator, to intervene with its Canadian subsidiary Acadian Coach Lines to end a lockout of workers and arrange a negotiation.
Acadia Coach Lines locked employees out in the provinces of New Brunswick and King Edward Island in December 2011, after 11 months of attempts by ATU (Amalgamated Transit Union Canada) Local 1229 to win a cost of living increase for its members.
ITF inland transport section secretary Mac Urata said: “This dispute is crying out for a negotiated settlement. The lockout is now in its third month.
“Our member union the ATU Canada has signalled its willingness to talk through the night to find a solution to this dispute. If Acadian won’t take them up on that offer then we – alongside our colleagues in France’s CGT Transports, CFDT and Force Ouvrière unions – have to appeal to their parent group to make them commit themselves to a mediated dialogue.”
