TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd November, 2019) Canada's Quebec province is facing an emergency, regional Premier Francois Legault said amid potential shortages of propane, which is largely used for heating, three days into a strike of the Canadian National Railway (CN) employees.
"We could lose a lot of animals, a lot of food. We're in an emergency ... Honestly we can't draw out this strike for a long time," Legault told reporters on Thursday, as quoted by Canadian Press.
The outlet also cited the premier as saying that Quebec had less than five days before the propane shortages began. Legault added that the situation put infrastructure, especially hospitals, nursing homes and farms, at risk.
The official expressed hope that the CN would reach an agreement with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), representing the railroad employees, to end the strike. Legault also did not rule out that a bill to stop the action.
Meanwhile, the CBC reported that propane stocks were dwindling in the Nova Scotia province, as well.
The CN and the TCRC, the union representing more than 3,000 workers who are engaged in the strike, are mired in a deadlock concerning the rail company's safety practices and worker health. The union has decried the practice of having its members operate trains alone from outside of the locomotive in freezing temperatures for up to 17 miles, including hanging on to moving trains with one hand, while operating a remotely controlled locomotive with the other.
The union has also raised the alarm about increased hours and contended that compensation is not a key bargaining issue.
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, Patty Hajdu, and Minister of Transport Marc Garneau have encouraged both parties to strike a deal expeditiously.
The strike is also having an impact on a wide range of industries in Western Canada, including the resources sector, manufacturing, and the grain industry. The threat to grain producers, who have already endured a challenging year during which their crop has been damaged by mildew and frost, is believed by many to be so grave that the Saskatchewan province Premier, Scott Moe, urged the government to act "expediently" in resolving the issue.
CN is Canada's largest railway employing more than 24,000 employees. CN transports more than 250 billion Canadian Dollars ($188 billion) worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors. Last fiscal year, it posted revenues of 14.3 million Canadian dollars, a 10 percent increase over 2017.
Despite the generally positive fiscal backdrop, The Globe and Mail reported that the company was preparing to slash 1,600 jobs amid increasing trade tensions and a weakening North American economy. CN confirmed the expected layoffs but declined to specify how many workers would be fired.
