More than 9,000 rail workers in Canada went on strike
More than 9,000 Canadian rail workers have been ordered to strike or shut out on May 22, which will affect the country's two main railways – the Canadian National Railway (CN) and the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC).
Train conductors, engineers, workers and rail traffic controllers at the Canadian Railway Trade Union (TCRC) voted overwhelmingly in favor of the strike last Wednesday as negotiations have reached an impasse.
"The simultaneous shutdown of CN and CPKC will disrupt supply chains on a scale that Canada may have never experienced. TCRC President Paul Boucher said at a press conference in Ottawa last Wednesday.
What does the strike mean for Canadians?
Canada is a vast country, and railways play an important role in transporting a wide range of goods, including a wide range of goods, from oil to agricultural products to consumer goods.
"I must admit that we are very worried right now," Andre Harpe, president of the Canadian Grain Growers Association, told Global News.
"We rely on rail to transport a lot of the fertilizer we use closer to the farm, so this can have a devastating impact on our bottom line. At the end of the day, we have to sow the seeds into the ground and provide the proper nutrients to harvest the crop, so we're very worried. ”
Harp said the agricultural community relies on rail to transport the vast majority of its products, whether it's fertilizers or crops destined for the market. As a result, he said grain growers are doing everything in their power to try to avoid a strike.
Following the Vancouver port strike,
The impact of the rail strike is even more severe
This follows a major strike at the Port of Vancouver last year. Hap said 52 ships of grain were loaded and stranded due to a labor dispute.
Fraser Johnson, a professor of operations management at Western University, said he believes a rail strike or lockout would have a much greater impact on Canada's supply chain than a strike at the Port of Vancouver.
"Frankly, I think it's going to have a bigger impact because it's going to affect the wider industry. It will almost immediately shut down car assembly plants in Canada, and even some in the United States. Johnson said.
He said the biggest impact for consumers of a rail strike like this would be the "almost immediate closure" of certain goods, such as agricultural products, across Canada.
"In industries such as forestry, agriculture, mining and consumer goods, they really don't have any other options but to use rail as part of their supply chain and logistics. He said.
Shipments and sales of potash fertilizers from Canada may be disrupted
As a potash superpower, Canada has a high monopoly of 30% of the world's potassium resources and potash production. The Canadian Potash Alliance (Canpotex) is Canada's largest potash supplier, comprising Canadian potash companies Nutrien (NTR.N) and Mosaic (MOS.N).
In July 2023, the Potash Alliance withdrew its potash sales offer due to a strike at a Canadian port, affecting its potash supply chain.
Nutrien also said in its annual report disclosed this year that the increased costs associated with the logistical challenges of Canpotex's West Coast port facilities have not only affected its normal sales, but also its transportation costs.
The impact of this rail strike may be more serious than that of previous port strikes, and Canada's potash export transportation and global potash supply chain will be affected.
......................................................
Please indicate in the following format for reprinting: Source: Agrochemical Times Editor: Chen Ran Review: Zhai Yiting Producer: Zheng Hongyan