Fabio Monti, co -owner of several restaurants on the large aisle, including Mora, cannot lose employees. The Quebec Summer Festival (FEQ), which is in full swing, makes the situation even more critical.
“The FEQ represents 10 % of our turnover. Our customers also expect to be served. This is a very busy period for us, ”he explains.
With his partners, he decided to assume taxi costs for employees who usually use public transport. “There are around fifty,” says Mons. Monti.
This decision will cost several hundred dollars, but he estimates that employees should not assume the consequences of the strike in the capital’s transport network (RTC).
He hopes that other employers will follow suit to support their workers.
“We found it unacceptable, to charge the employees. It is very expensive, ”he argues.
The team also requested employees with a car to organize carpooling. “Several raised their hands. Me and the other partners, we will go and seek employees from them too. We hope that the strike will stop before the end of the FEQ because otherwise it will cost us very dear, ”he says.
A Facebook group for mutual aid
The sun contacted several employers to find out what measures they took to help their employees.
In the majority of cases, including in Quebec City, employers have still little implemented concrete initiatives. Employees who cannot television are recommended to use carpooling, walking, cycling or taxi.
“The taxi is not paid by the city,” admits spokesperson Jean-Pascal Lavoie.
At the Chul de Québec, employees are offered to buy a temporary subscription for parking.
In a few hours, dozens of people published messages on the Facebook group Entraide RTC on strike.
In addition to sharing carpooling costs, some go so far as to offer pastries to motorists ready to bring them closer to their workplace.
Antonio Farias responded to the call of these workers in difficulty. “I am a person who helps their neighbor. When I go on a trip, I still find myself organizations to go volunteer, “he says.
Going to work by bicycle, he offers carpooling outside of his working hours. He only requests the equivalent of a bus ticket ($ 3.70). “RTC users are not the richest. I saw some people ask up to $ 15, ”he deplores.
Camille Gagnon also decided to help workers during her holidays.
“I told myself that I was just going to help. I remember when I was going to work younger in bus, this kind of strike would have greatly affected my work and my budget. ”
— Camille Gagnon
She does not hesitate to get people who normally make an hour by day “just to go to work at the maximum”. “I find it very sad that it affects them like that. And I don’t ask for anything for this service. “
RTC interview employees have been on strike since midnight. No bus has been circulating since 5:20 a.m. this morning.
The strike could be extended until the end of the FEQ, July 13, and the union did not spread the possibility of an unlimited general strike in the face of the “rigidity” of the employers’ part.
The services of in Vedo, Flexibus and the suitable transport service of the capital (Stac) remain in office during the strike.
