STM maintenance workers need to provide more services during an overtime strike, tribunal rules

Quebec's labour tribunal says Montreal transit workers will need to come up with a list of more essential services it would offer during the overtime strike, in order for it to be allowed to go ahead.

The union had planned to refuse any overtime work as of early Saturday morning. The job-action was to last until Sept.16.

The tribunal called the services the STMmaintenance workers' union said would be provided "insufficient" in a statement released Friday night.

Earlier this week, the STMcalled on a government mediator to intervene after warning the strike's tactics would be especially felt on bus routes.

It said users could even expect "cuts in service on some lines."

The transit service's maintenance workers voted 99per cent in favour of a general strike in the spring, saying the STMis trying to walk back working conditions "on all fronts."

On top of forcing workers to perform an unreasonable amount of overtime, the union says the STMalso hires private contractors for tasks that are typically done internally.

The union is asking the STMto hire more maintenance workers to correctthe bad hours and need for outsourcing.