Premier appoints mediator as construction talks fall apart

Premier Pauline Marois said she is willing, although reluctant, to invoke back-to-work legislationin thelabour dispute that has haltedconstruction across the province for the past eight days.

Talks between one key sector industrial, commercial and institutional constructionfell apart at 2:30 a.m. on Monday aftera weekend negotiating blitz.

Marois interruptedFte nationalecelebrations tomeet briefly with reportersand appoint a special mediator to pave the way to an agreement in that sector.

"I think that it is possible to have a solution in the next days," Marois said on Monday afternoon.

But if no progress is made by next week, the premier said she will reluctantly invoke back-to-work legislation.

The head of the Quebec Federation of Labour's construction wing, Yves Ouellet, is acting as spokesman for the alliance ofthe fiveconstruction unions.

Ouelletsaid the alliance is looking forward to working with a mediator. However, he says construction bosses would rather see back-to-work legislation imposed on the unionsthan negotiate a deal.

"We can ask them why they want the special law," Ouellet said. "But a special law is never there to help."

Road workers return to job sites Tuesday

Onone key front, there has been progress.

There is a tentative agreement in the civil engineering and roadwork sector, which means 40,000 workers on major road and infrastructure projects will return to work on Tuesday.

A third sector the residential building industry is still in talks.

More than 175,000 workers walked off the job a week ago. Their demands include salary increases andadequate compensation for overtime hours.