Trade unions reduce sick leave for railway workers
2022.12.13 13:35
Trade unions reduce sick leave for railway workers
Budrigannews.com – CSX Corp., a rail operator (NASDAQ:) after U.S. railroads’ sick-time policies became a flashpoint in national labor talks, is changing its attendance policy for unexpected, short-term medical absences next year.
CSX is among the rail lines that utilized alleged directs based participation strategies toward diminish spontaneous nonappearances as the business cut positions to cut down expenses and reinforce benefits. Unscheduled absences are penalized with points under the policies, and they run the risk of being suspended or fired.
On Tuesday, rail unions are outside the U.S. Capitol protesting the federal government’s lack of involvement in sick-time policies. The impasse that could have halted shipments of food, fuel, and medicine, stranded commuters, and harmed the U.S. economy without making any changes to sick-time agreements was broken on December 2 when President Joe Biden of the United States signed legislation.
Rail workers who were impacted by the pandemic claimed that the policies discouraged them from seeking medical attention or taking time off to recover.
More Google opposed the antitrust lawsuit
According to the new policy, which goes into effect on January 1, CSX stated on Tuesday that it will no longer award points to employees who call in sick shortly before a scheduled workday with an illness for which they have seen a doctor.
In an email to Reuters, CSX stated that the new attendance rules will be “non-disciplinary and non-punitive.”
A recently negotiated railroad contract was rejected by four of the 12 unions involved because it did not include paid short-term sick days and did not address the attendance points system utilized by CSX and Union Pacific, the two largest U.S. railroads (NYSE:). and BNSF, owned by Berkshire Hathaway.
Employees will also receive credit for working without an absence, which can be used to expunge points, according to the new CSX policy. Accumulated points will expire on a rolling 12-month cycle rather than accumulate indefinitely. CSX said it doesn’t have any significant bearing focuses when representatives miss work because of hospitalization or crisis treatment.
Union Pacific stated that it plans to begin collaborating with unions on issues pertaining to quality of life in the coming weeks. In response to inquiries regarding its health-related absence policy, BNSF did not immediately respond.
More than 70 lawmakers urged Biden to take executive action to ensure that rail workers are compensated for sick days on Friday.
More Moderna shares rise amid cancer drug rumors
Meanwhile, on December 1, workers at railroads and other regulated workplaces in Canada were granted at least 10 paid sick days per year. Canadian National Railway (TSX:) is one of Canada’s two largest freight railroads. Canadian Pacific and Co (NYSE:) Railway Ltd. also has workers in the United States. The railways stated that sick-day requirements will be determined through collective bargaining with American workers.
