OTTAWA (Reuters) – A strike planned for Monday by ship and harbor masters at western Canadian ports has been called off after the country’s labor council ruled that the union’s strike notice violated the Labor Act, the council said in an order.
“The board directs the union to withdraw the strike notice,” the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) said in the order, adding that the strike was a violation of the Canada Labour Code.
It was alleged that the union – International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship and Dock Foremen Local 514 – had not bargained in good faith.
The union did not respond to a request for comment on Monday morning.
The strike was called to protest against the labour contracts of port operator DP World and related issues such as changes to overtime, jobs lost to automation and pension provisions.
A maritime employers’ association in British Columbia in western Canada had previously said a coast-wide lockout could potentially shut down all cargo operations of its member companies in the province, except for cruise ships and grain carriers.
Canadian Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said Monday on the social media platform X that federal mediators are working with the parties to reach a deal.
The BC Maritime Employers Association filed a complaint with the CIRB last week, alleging that the 72-hour strike called by the union was in bad faith and violated the Canada Labour Act.
(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee; Editing by Keith Weir)
