By all accounts the railways are the life blood of the nation. They are crucial in supplying fuel, goods, components, food and other essentials to the commercial hubs of the country. Things from auto parts, corn and Christmas gifts depend on their supply by the railways. Yet the railway workers are treated like dirt.
Their holiday and sick leave benefits are close to zero. A points system is in effect where employees have to accumulate points over a period of months. It takes seven points to have a day off sick or take a holiday, like Christmas. They are earned one by one but are subtracted in bulk. If the continued running of the railways is so important, then the people working them are equally as important and should be treated accordingly.
The railway workers voted to strike over these issues but the government stepped in and, in effect, banned the strike, which to my mind is an infringement of their rights. As always, in this country, powerful moguls get what they want and to hell with the rest of humanity. The railway chiefs had the audacity to say that the workforce was a necessary overhead which subtracted from the profitability of the company; can you believe it?
Len St.Clare
Mukilteo
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