00:00MTS workers are raising concerns over what they say are ongoing breaches of their collective agreement,
00:07inadequate union representation and serious health and safety issues on the job.
00:12They staged a protest today, calling on both management and their union to address their concerns.
00:19Charlotte Kisto reports.
00:21The reason we are here today is because we have been faced with a lot of issues in the company
00:27and up to this time, the union and management have failed to address any of the issues that have been
00:33brought forth to them.
00:35We have come out here today to make a stand so that we are fed up of the content between
00:41the collective agreement,
00:42no representation from the union, no proper health and safety procedures and we get to each other point that we
00:50couldn't take it no more.
00:51MTS workers say their concerns range from alleged violations of the collective agreement
00:56to what they describe as inadequate health and safety measures.
01:00I am on injury leave over maybe two years and it was from operating a defected bucket, a defected industrial
01:10bucket.
01:11When I asked about the bucket before I used it, the supervisor stated that they had a meeting with management.
01:16There's a few days before and management stated that we have to work with what it is they have because
01:22that is what is afforded to us.
01:23Workers also allege they are sometimes required to handle garbage and potentially hazardous material without adequate protective equipment.
01:31They claim some employees have been asked to deal with animal waste and contaminants without gloves or appropriate protective clothing.
01:39Workers are working without gloves.
01:42Some workers are emptying bins without gloves.
01:45No garbage bags.
01:47Supervisors are asking workers to wash out garbage bags and put it back in garbage bins.
01:51We have locations where workers are cleaning things like dog mess, bat mess, rat infestation, pigeon infestation.
02:00And they are demanding workers to take up these tasks, threatening them that if they fail to take up these
02:05tasks,
02:05then they could either fail, no payment, send home suspension and these different kind of things.
02:11Another concern raised is the exposure to chemicals, with one worker alleging she developed a persistent skin rash.
02:17The employees say they have reached a point where they can no longer tolerate what they describe as unsafe working
02:24conditions.
02:25Our health is our wealth. If I am not well, then I can't work. The company don't seem to understand
02:31that.
02:31The company don't seem to even care a little bit about that, that when a worker falls, they could die.
02:38Why? Because you can hire somebody else to take up that worker's job. Where is the humanitarianism in that?
02:43The workers are now calling on the authorities to hear their concerns and step in to help resolve the issues
02:49they face daily.
02:50Shahla Kistu, TV6 News.
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