While OC Transpo is trying to lay down the law on its transit workers’ absenteeism, the union is fighting back.
Last week OC Transpo managers invoked a policy forbidding employees from taking planned days off, as punishment following reports that an unusually high number of drivers have called in sick recently.
Union president André Cornellier says the new no-leave policy contradicts the city’s public health department’s plead for people to stay home if they’re sick to prevent the spread of viruses such as H1N1.
“Many of our passengers are taking the bus in order to get to or from their doctor’s office, urgent care clinics or even the hospital,” Cornellier said in a written statement. “When you combine being exposed like this with the stressful conditions at OC Transpo, it’s no surprise that our operators and maintenance staff get sick more often than office workers do.”
According to media reports, citing a leak memo from OC Transpo management, most of the sick days taken were on Fridays, on days with good or bad weather.
During the last two weeks of September, reports say an average of 114 drivers out of 1,200 had called in sick each weekday.