(Montreal) The 630 unionized workers at Mine Raglan, in Nunavik, called an indefinite general strike on Friday evening.
Posted at 3:46 p.m.
The nickel mine, located at the northern end of Quebec, is located in Katinniq, between the Inuit villages of Salluit and Kangiqsujuaq.
Employees at the mine, operated by Glencore, commute. They often spend 21 days in a row at the mine site working 11 hours a day, 7 days a week, according to a statement from the United Steelworkers.
Negotiations remained deadlocked on Friday following a meeting between the two parties in the presence of a mediator. The union members therefore chose to exercise their strike mandate. They had voted 97.5% in favor during meetings held last week in Quebec, Rouyn-Noranda, Laval, Mont-Joli, Bonaventure, Gaspé and Raglan.
The use of subcontracting is one of the points in dispute.
“There are often many more contractors on the mine site than unionized workers. That does not make any sense. This is as much less economic spinoff in the regions of Quebec, for the benefit of a multinational that exploits our wealth, with significant profits,” denounces the president of local section 9449 of the Steelworkers, Éric Savard.
In general, the working conditions at the mine are denounced by the United Steelworkers.
“The employer is reluctant to allow a real lunch hour to workers who work 11 hours a day, 21 consecutive days. It has become that those who refuse to work overtime are looked down upon by the bosses,” adds Mr. Savard.
According to the Syndicat des Métallos, affiliated with the FTQ, Glencore tried to divide the workers among themselves, but it was “united that the union members chose to strike [et] that they will return to the mining camp when they have gained respect from their employer”