Senate committee urges Ottawa to curb rail, port labour disruptions

A Senate committee is calling on the federal government to create new mechanisms to prevent labour disruptions in Canada’s rail and marine sectors, warning that strikes and lockouts threaten the economy, supply chains and the country’s reputation as a trading partner.

In a report released this week, the Senate Transport and Communications Committee said work stoppages in federally regulated rail and marine industries have had widespread impacts on businesses and consumers across Canada. The committee noted that several collective agreements are set to expire in 2026, raising concerns about future labour disputes.

The report, Keep Canada Moving: Labour, Management and Supply Chain in the Rail and Maritime Sectors, found that disruptions in one part of the transportation network can create ripple effects throughout supply chains. Industries including agriculture, food manufacturing, mining, forestry, automotive manufacturing and energy depend heavily on rail and marine transportation to move products and materials.

The committee recommended that Ottawa establish a Supply Chain Reliability Act or amend the Canada Labour Code to create a specialized tribunal for rail and marine labour disputes. Under the proposed system, disputes deemed to be in the national interest would be subject to mediation and arbitration before strikes or lockouts could occur.

The report also recommends changes to the Canada Labour Code’s essential services provisions and calls for clearer criteria governing the use of Section 107, which allows the federal labour minister to intervene in labour disputes through the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

Committee members said the proposed measures would help improve the reliability of Canada’s transportation network and strengthen confidence among international trading partners.

The federal government recently concluded consultations on possible labour-relations reforms and is reviewing recommendations from an industrial inquiry commission that examined labour disputes at British Columbia ports.