The union in the Kootenay Lake ferry strike has announced that it will reduce sailings at the Glade and Harrop cable ferries beginning Jan. 6 at 6:30 a.m.

At that time the B.C. General Employees Union will begin following the requirements of an amended Essential Service Order issued by the B.C. Labour Relations board.

When that ruling was announced on Dec. 27, community members expressed because the new rules would limit the Harrop cable ferry from 24-7 service to just eight round trips daily as well as reduce the Glade cable ferry to 16 round trips. Harrop, Procter and Glade are only accessible by their ferry terminals.

Both ferries will operate 6:30-8 a.m. and 4-5:30 p.m.

Also under those rules, passengers will be limited to those who can prove they have medical appointments, students crossing to attend classes or their parents for drop offs and pick-ups, teachers and school administrators, emergency services, health professionals, anyone responding to a mental and physical health emergency, snow removal vehicles and vendors making scheduled deliveries to the Procter General Store including fuel trucks.

A schedule of when the designated round trips will take place has not yet been announced by the employer, Western Pacific Marine, which said Friday afternoon it had filed an appeal against the essential service order.

Ferry workers have been on strike since Nov. 3 when service was reduced on the Kootenay Lake route between Balfour and Kootenay Bay.