By David Ljunggren, Promit Mukherjee
OTTAWA (Reuters) -The Canadian federalgovernment moved rapidly on Thursday to end an extraordinary rail blockage, revealing it would ask the nation’s commercial relations board to concern a back-to-work order that oughtto come quickly.
Canada’s top 2 railways, Canadian National Railway (TSX:) and Canadian Pacific (NYSE:) Kansas City, hadactually locked out more than 9,000 unionized employees earlier in the day, triggering a synchronised rail blockage that service groups stated might cause hundreds of millions of dollars in financial damage.
The Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), which is independent, will now speakwith the business and unions before providing an order.
CN stated it would end its lockout on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET (2200 GMT). CPKC stated it was preparing to reboot operations in Canada and evenmore information on timing would be offered assoonas it got the CIRB’s order.
“I presume that the trains will be running within days,” Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon informed pressreporters.
As well as askingfor a back-to-work order, MacKinnon asked the board to start a procedure of binding arbitration inbetween the Teamsters union and the business, and extend the terms of the present labor contracts till brand-new arrangements haveactually been signed.
The sides blamed each other for the interruption after numerous rounds of talks stoppedworking to yield a offer.
The union did not respond instantly to a demand for remark on the federalgovernment’s regulation.
CN representative Jonathan Abecassis informed the Canadian Broadcasting Corp it might take the business a week or more to catch up on deliveries.
MacKinnon’s choice significant a modification of mind by the Liberal federalgovernment of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which had stated it desired to see the matter settled at the bargaining table.
“We offered settlements every possible chance to prosper … however we have an deadlock here,” MacKinnon stated.
“And that is why we have come to this choice today.”
RELIANT ON RAIL
Business groups and business had required the federalgovernment act.
Trudeau, in a post on X, stated “collective bargaining is alway