The strike scheduled for 8 July for ship and dock foremen at western Canadian ports has been cancelled.
The planned strike by ship and dock foremen at western Canadian ports was cancelled after the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ruled that the union’s strike notice violated the country’s labour code, reported Reuters.
“The Board directs the union to rescind its strike notice,” the CIRB stated in its order. This decision followed a complaint by the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) against the 72-hour strike, arguing it was organised in “bad faith” and contrary to the Canada Labour Code. The union has yet to respond to a request for comment.
According to Reuters, the strike arose to contest port operator DP World’s labour contracts to which issues were held against changes to overtime, retirement benefits, and a spike in job redundancies due to automation.
The BCMEA had earlier warned that the coast-wide lockout could see a potential shutdown of all cargo operations of its member companies across the region, with only cruises and grain vessel operations surviving its impact.
According to Canada’s Labor Minister, Seamus O’Regan, federal mediators are cooperating with the parties to reach a deal.
