The union says the two main rail companies want to dilute safety provisions, a charge the firms deny.

The Canadian government has told the country’s two main railway companies and the Teamsters union to work harder to reach labour deals.

The government comments came on Monday as it tries to head off a crippling transport stoppage.

Unless agreements are reached, both the Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) will shut down at the same time early on Thursday for the first time in history.

Canada – the world’s second largest country by territory – relies heavily on rail to ship grain, fertilizer and commodities, and the country’s main business lobby group estimated losses would hit  CAD$1 billion (US$733m) a day during a stoppage.

Federal mediators are working with the companies and the union, but those involved in the discussions said little progress has been made. The union says CN Rail and CPKC want to dilute safety provisions, a charge the companies deny.

In a post on the X social media network, Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon said the effects of the talks would be borne by all Canadians.

“The parties must do the hard work necessary to reach agreements at the bargaining table and prevent a full work stoppage,” he said.

MacKinnon has the power to force the union and railway companies into binding arbitration but has so far said he wants them to sort out their differences at the negotiating table.

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Bad faith

Labour talks started early this year, but progress has been slow with both the union and the companies accusing each other of bad faith.

CN Rail and CPKC have already stopped accepting shipments of hazardous goods and are winding down their operations.

Maersk said on Monday that it would stop accepting some Canada-bound shipments.

Canada is a major agricultural producer, and farmers will start bringing in their harvests this month and in September.

The Quorum Corporation, which monitors grain handling and transportation, said daily volumes in early September would increase to 138,000 tonnes with a value of about CAD$75 million (US$55m).

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“After a period of time, sales will be lost, and the value of Canada’s grain will decrease. … The largest concern is a further degradation of Canada’s reliability as a supplier, which is already suffering due to past labour disruptions,” Quorum President Mark Hemmes said in an emailed statement.

Concerns are rising that container shipments coming into and departing Pacific Northwest ports and Canadian Pacific ports will be halted as port workers unions have indicated they would not handle cargo slated for the Canadian railroads.

Refrigerated containers with meat and some highly perishable produce are of particular concern because delays would likely mean spoilage.

Shippers of those goods have started holding back containers, said Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition.