The Canadian government is prepared to table back-to-work legislation if a resolution is not reached in the Canada Post strike within the next few days, Employment Minister Patty Hajdu said in a statement.
“We have re-appointed the special mediator to work with the parties to reach an agreement. We strongly encourage both sides to reach a deal and are prepared to table legislation if we do not see a resolution over the next few days – a step we do not take lightly,” Hajdu told Global News.
WATCH: Canada Post worker speaks out against union
She added that the government prefers that the two parties reach a resolution on their own, but has run out of options.
“For nearly a year, we have been supporting and encouraging both sides to reach a negotiated agreement. We provided conciliation officers, appointed mediators, and offered voluntary arbitration. Despite all of this, limited progress was made and we have exhausted our options,” the statement read.
WATCH: Has the rotating Canada Post strikes put the holiday shopping season in jeopardy?
With the holiday season coming up, there has been much speculation as to whether the government would table legislation to effectively end the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) strike.
Canada Post is dealing with a fifth week of rotating strikes by its unionized workers as both sides remain apart in contract negotiations.
Regardless of whether it gets a last-minute deal with its striking employees, Canada Post warned Canadians Tuesday that they can expect delays of parcel and mail delivery into the new year as a result of rotating walkouts.
–With files from the Canadian Press.
This story is developing.
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