Dockworkers in Port of Montreal. Dockworkers at Port of Montreal are scheduled to end all work that is overtime to aid in the ongoing negotiations for a contract. The union, which is comprised of around 1,200 longshore employees, recently made plans to hold the “overtime strike” that will begin on the 7th of January at seven a.m. EDT Thursday, and will continue for an indefinite period. Michel Murray, a spokesperson for the union associated to the Canadian Union of Public Employees The union’s spokesperson emphasized its readiness to engage in a series of intense negotiations, but also noted that employers’ reluctance was the primary motive for imposing pressure. The issue of scheduling has been cited as the primary issue in these discussions. They include the participation of federal mediators from the last Friday.

Negotiations resumed following the three-day strike that impacted two terminals responsible to 41% of the container traffic in Canada’s second biggest port. Its Maritime Employers Association has expressed reservations about the lengthy discussions, which could cause harm to the reputation of Canada as a trade partner and operational disruptions that are that could result from the scheduled overtime suspension. The union warned that workers who work shifts that have no crew could be affected by the impact on their wages. The union has been urged to withdraw the strike notification and abide by mediators’ suggested procedures for speeding up a resolution.

The possibility of operational backlogs can be problematic for a range of industries such as that of Canadian Produce Marketing Association, that highlighted the wider consequences for the supply chain as well as food wasted. This latest job strike comes on top of a number of problems faced by the supply chain during the last fifteen months, such as weather events and labor conflicts which highlight the constant fight from manufacturing to retail.

Source: The Canadian Press