July 1 (Reuters) – A number of thousand unionized port staff in Canada’s western province of British Columbia went on strike after failing to achieve a deal to resume an industry-wide contract that expired in March, a waterfront employers group stated on Saturday.
The British Columbia Maritime Employers Affiliation (BCMEA) stated it and the Worldwide Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU Canada) had met Thursday and Friday in talks supported by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
“Sadly, a tentative settlement couldn’t be reached,” the BCMEA stated in a press release.
ILWU Canada members had been on strike at websites throughout British Columbia, the BCMEA stated. Requested for remark, the union stated it could concern a press release as soon as there’s a decision to the dispute over the collective bargaining settlement, which covers about 7,500 staff at 30 terminals within the province.
The walkout may have critical penalties for Canada’s financial system and small companies, the Canadian Federation of Impartial Enterprise (CFIB) stated in a press release. The group urged the federal government to make sure port operations are maintained.
On Wednesday, the longshore staff union stated it had issued a 72-hour strike discover.
In a Twitter put up on Saturday, Canada’s Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan Jr., stated the BCMEA and ILWU Canada stay on the bargaining desk working towards a deal, including that the federal mediators proceed to help the events of their negotiations. ($1 = 1.3236 Canadian {dollars}) (Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; enhancing by Jonathan Oatis)
