With its staff still on the picket lines, DriveTest is hiring.
More than three months into a strike by the United Steelworkers Local 9511, the agency in charge of the province's driver's exams has announced it is hiring more examiners and inside staff.
But Serco DES stressed the positions will only start after the more-than 14-week-old strike ends.
The approximately 100 new people would normally be hired due to attrition in the spring but the company is hiring early to ensure they are ready for a rush of testing once the labour disruption is resolved, said Paul Dalglish, managing director of Drive- Test.
The company is allowing an employee who wishes to cross the picket lines to come back to work, Dalglish said yesterday.
Enough are expected to cross that the company should have more centres open Monday to offer testing for commercial drivers and other high priority groups, he said.
The company has been offering some services for three weeks despite the strike but young drivers and seniors still remain shut out from road tests. So far, the company estimates 200,000 people haven't been served during the strike.
"We're very anxious to see this strike over," Dalglish said, adding both sides have been talking to the mediator.
Local 9511 president Jim Young said his membership is aware the company is hiring but is still manning and maintaining picket lines.
"We are in the same position as we were two weeks ago, we're still in the strike position," Young said.
Despite the length of the strike, Young said most of his membership remains committed to getting a fair and equitable agreement.
No comments:
Post a Comment