Canada could face a halt to its freight rail network if labour agreements are not reached between the two largest rail companies and their more than 9,000 employees by Thursday.
Canadian National Railway (CN) has warned that it may block access to its workers, while the Teamsters union has indicated its intention to strike at Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).
The situation, which would be the first time that both companies face a stoppage at the same time, generated concern among business associations and farmers, who would be affected by interruptions in the supply chain.
CN and CPKC, which operate routes from the Atlantic to the Pacific and the United States, handle about $730 million worth of cargo daily, including everything from grain and vehicles to oil.
In anticipation of the strike, American railroad and shipping companies stopped receiving goods destined for Canada.
Canadian Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon called for “doing everything necessary to reach agreements at the negotiating table and avoid a complete standstill.”
However, CN said that there had been “no significant progress” in the negotiations and that “the parties were really far apart.”
Faced with the possible halt in operations, the company is also seeking to temporarily relocate workers to certain regions, although these efforts have been rejected by unions.
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2024-08-25 05:40:36