MONTREAL -- Swissport Canada confirmed that there was a fuel spill on the tarmac at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport on Friday evening, as the company's aircraft refuelling workers have been on strike since Tuesday.
According to the company, the accident occurred around 7 p.m. when a tanker truck came into contact with a cement pillar.
Swissport refused to reveal the amount of fuel that was spilled, calling the situation a 'minor spill'.
The incident caused two aircraft to be delayed.
In a statement from a public relations firm, Swissport wrote that "the normal process around a spill has been followed by airport employees."
When asked if people were inconvenienced by the spill, a spokesperson said that this was not the case for "anyone" at Swissport.
Urgences-Santé nevertheless indicated that it had received a call for "intoxication". One person was assessed by the paramedics and refused to be transported to the hospital.
The incident occurred three days after a strike by Swissport workers at Montreal-Trudeau and Mirabel airports began.
The employer ensures that services have been maintained without delay and without problems, despite the strike. Since air transportation is under federal jurisdiction, it is subject to the Canada Labour Code, which does not include anti-scab provisions, unlike the Quebec Labour Code.
The union members concerned are aircraft tankers, but also mechanics, dispatchers and maintenance workers of fuel storage facilities.
Several points are in dispute, including compensation, work safety, staff turnover.
This report by the Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2020.
