On August 5, following the settlement of the west coast labour dispute between the BCMEA and the longshore workers, represented by the ILWU, the Ministers of Labour and Transport issued a joint statement.
They were pleased to acknowledge the negotiated settlement, but commented on the damage this work stoppage caused to the Canadian economy. Included in their joint statement was the following comment.
This dispute caused serious disruption to our supply chains, risking our strong international reputation as a reliable trading partner. We do not want to be back here again. Minister O’Regan has directed federal officials to review how a disruption on this scale unfolded, so that in future we can provide greater stability for the workers and businesses across Canada that depend on our BC ports. We will have more to say on this soon.
This was followed by a further announcement today, August 9th, from Labour Minister O’Regan. In this statement, he announced that the government will be initiating a review of this, and other recent supply chain labour disputes, under Section 106 of the Canada Labour Code. In this statement, the Minister comments as follows.
The deal reached by the parties brought stability to our supply chains.
But another dispute and disruption on that scale is still possible, and that’s not good enough. The workers and businesses that depend on our ports deserve long-term solutions. They deserve answers.
The full statements can be accessed below
