By Chuck Chiang
The federal government is urging both sides in the British Columbia port dispute to return to the table after mediated talks broke off on Saturday, the first of three scheduled days.
A statement issued by the office of federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says both the port employers and the union representing more than 700 longshore supervisors “must understand the urgency of the situation.”
The statement urges both sides to “do the work necessary to reach an agreement,” adding that “Canadians are counting on them.”
The comments come after the latest round of mediated talks in Vancouver started and ended on Saturday without a deal, and with no further negotiations scheduled to end a lockout that started last Monday.
Container terminals across B.C. were locked by employers in what they call a defensive action after workers started strike activity, while the union calls the lockout an overreaction to an overtime ban and a refusal to implement automation technology.
The employers say the talks were concluded by federal mediators on Saturday after they met with both sides separately and saw no progress, while the union says the employers cut off talks in less than an hour — something the employers deny.
