Canadian media is reporting that Justin Trudeau’s federal government is drawing up plans to prevent strike action following the overwhelming rejection of the latest offer by the employer’s Maritime Employer’s Association (MEA) last Sunday.
[s2If is_user_logged_in()]According to reports in La Presse, Federal labour minister Filomena Tassi is “quietly working on an emergency plan to prevent a strike from paralysing the port of Montreal for a long period of time,” and the issue was under discussion at the cabinet meeting on 22 March.
Ministers fear that another prolonged strike at the country’s second largest port would be catastrophic for the already battered regional economy that has already suffered severe setbacks from the pandemic and a 12-day strike last year.
The opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) said any legislation designed to force dockers back to work would be a betrayal of the labour movement.
The NDP deputy leader Alexandre Boulerice, added, “The NDP, as a party that represents workers, is sure to oppose any form of back-to-work legislation. If the Liberals do this it will be a betrayal of what they have displayed as sympathy for the labour movement. But you have to calm down. There is no strike notice that has been sent yet.”
Chief negotiator for Local 375 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) already stated, after Sunday’s vote, that the union wishes to negotiate further, and that there is no immediate thought of strike action. MEA representatives were also said to be keen to return to negotiations rather than trigger a lockout of dockers, and the employers said they were waiting to hear from the three arbitrators assigned to the talks.
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