Canadian Pacific to lock out employees in 72 hours if talks with union fail

A Canadian Pacific Railway crew works on their prepare on the CP Rail yards in Calgary, Alberta, April 29, 2014. REUTERS/Todd Korol//File Picture

March 16 (Reuters) – Canadian Pacific Railway (CP.TO) will lock out its workers in 72 hours if there is no such thing as a settlement with a union, the corporate mentioned on Wednesday, a transfer that will doubtlessly disrupt the motion of grain, potash and coal at a time of hovering commodity costs.

CP has commenced work stoppage contingency plans and can progressively work to wind down its Canadian operations, until the events come to a negotiated settlement or conform to binding arbitration, the corporate mentioned.

The corporate mentioned it had tabled a proposal to handle problems with wages, advantages and pensions but it surely was rejected by the Teamsters Canada Rail Convention (TCRC) union on Wednesday.

“Delaying decision would solely make issues worse. We take this motion with a view to bringing this uncertainty to an finish,” CP’s chief government officer, Keith Creel, mentioned.

The union confirmed that it had been served with a lockout discover from Canadian Pacific and mentioned, “On the bargaining desk, CP continues to dismiss our members’ calls for and are unwilling to barter the problems they’ve created.”

TCRC is keen to stay on the bargaining desk till the lockout deadline on March 20 and past to succeed in a negotiated settlement, it mentioned in an announcement.

Canada, Russia and Belarus are among the many most important sources for the world’s potash, a key enter required for producing nitrogen-containing fertilizers. learn extra

Considerations about fertilizer provides have peaked since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sanction on Belarus. learn extra

Canadian federal mediators are helping the 2 sides in talks and the federal government is encouraging each events to think about making the compromises mandatory to succeed in a good deal, Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan Jr mentioned in an announcement.

The Canadian authorities can search to move laws that may order employees again to their jobs in the event that they strike. learn extra

Reporting by Radhika Anilkumar and Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Enhancing by Subhranshu Sahu

: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.