Air Canada to resume flights after directive ending strike
Air Canada's flight attendants are required to return to their duties by 2am Singapore time, a directive said.
Air Canada plans to resume flights on Aug 17 after the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) acted on a directive from the country's Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu to end a cabin crew strike that caused the suspension of around 700 daily flights.
The CIRB directed Air Canada to resume operations and for all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants to return to their duties by 2pm Eastern time (2am Singapore time), the airline said in a statement.
The directive came after the government on Aug 16 moved to end the strike and require binding arbitration to break a contract impasse, an action that the country's largest carrier had sought but unionised flight attendants fiercely opposed.
Thousands of Air Canada cabin crew
walked off the job on Aug 16 for the first time since 1985, after months of negotiations over a new contract.
In anticipation of the stoppage, the airline
began cancelling flights on Aug 15 , forcing more than 100,000 travelers to scramble for alternatives or stay put.
Air Canada said flights would restart on the evening of Aug 17, but some would still be cancelled over the next seven to 10 days as the schedule stabilises and returns to normal. REUTERS

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