(Ottawa) The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) filed a complaint on Friday with the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the Canada Post Corporation after the dismissal of striking employees.
Posted at 9:28 a.m.
According to the union, these layoffs are “an intimidation tactic that contravenes the Canada Labor Code.”
Neither the union nor Canada Post provided details on the extent of the layoffs.
More than 55,000 employees went on strike two weeks ago, particularly over pay and working conditions.
A spokesperson for Canada Post, Lisa Liu, says the company has received the complaint and is reviewing it.
The Crown corporation denies that it contravenes the Labor Code.
But this is not the opinion of some experts.
At first glance, Canada Post appears to be violating a section of the Labor Code, David J. Doorey, a professor of labor and employment law at York University, said in an email this week.
“Therefore, if CUPW contests the layoffs, Canada Post will need solid evidence to persuade the labor relations board that the layoffs are completely unrelated to the fact that the workers went on strike. It would be interesting to hear that argument,” he said.
The end of the strike is not in sight. Federal Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon said Wednesday that the mediator appointed by Ottawa was getting nowhere, with the parties being too far apart on crucial issues. Mediation talks have been temporarily suspended and the government has no plans to intervene.
Mr. MacKinnon said he had summoned both parties to his office in Ottawa. He said, however, that a directive for binding arbitration “was not in the plans.”
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