Ottawa city council has revised its negotiating terms and is inviting transit workers back to the bargaining table in a bid to end a strike that has crippled the city for 46 days.

City council went into emergency meetings on Saturday afternoon after informal talks with federal mediators collapsed the day before.

The meeting, which was originally scheduled for Monday, was called by Mayor Larry O'Brien at the request of some city council members.

After more than five hours of discussions, council passed three motions it hoped would return both sides to the bargaining table as early as Sunday.

About 2,300 transit drivers, dispatchers and maintenance workers walked off the job on Dec. 10.

The city's new scheduling proposal has been the main issue of disagreement between the City of Ottawa and the workers represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279.

No official talks have been scheduled between the two sides since Dec. 23.

Upon leaving Saturday's emergency meeting, O'Brien told reporters council will not be making public what the city has revised in its bargaining position.

The motions passed on Saturday were related to orders to change the negotiating position, safety caveats for work and rest time, and communicating changes with the union.

On Jan. 8, transit union members voted 75 per cent against the city's most recent offer, which was issued on Dec. 23. Since then, both sides have suggested limited arbitration, but have been unable to agree on the conditions.

Federal Labour Minister Rona Ambrose has said the federal government has no plans to legislate transit workers back to work. OC Transpo is under federal rather than Ontario jurisdiction because some of its routes pass into Quebec.

Transit workers could still be forced back to work by an order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board, if the board finds there is an immediate and serious danger to the health and safety of the public.

The board is reviewing submissions from the public, the city and the union. However, the city's solicitor told city council Wednesday that his own analysis concluded that the strike posed no immediate and serious danger.