MONTREAL -- As 10,000 home daycare workers continue with day two of their strike a first mediation session got underway Tuesday morning.

Quebec’s Ministry for Families requested the session after an intense negotiation meeting between the ministry and the Centrale des Syndicats du Quebec (CSQ) broke down last weekend, triggering a general unlimited strike.

The appointed mediator was to get the process going at 9:30 a.m., usually by first meeting with each party separately before meeting as a group.

Family Minister Mathieu Lacombe said he hoped the mediation would help kick-start discussions.

Negotiations between the home daycare workers and the government first began in March 2019.

The Federation of daycare workers (FIPEQ), affiliated with the CSQ, also said it hoped the mediation would proceed as quickly as possible.

The main sticking point now is daycare workers' salaries – most other issues having been resolved.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2020.