OTTAWA: Pressure mounted on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to end a strike that has effectively shut down Canada’s largest rail network, dragging on an already slowing economy.

The Teamsters union representing more than 3,000 train operators and railyard workers said there had been “no substantive progress” in talks aimed at ending the walkout at Canadian National Railway, which is on its fourth day.

“It’s absolutely critical to get the trains moving again,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said after meeting Trudeau in Ottawa.

Some 170,000 barrels of oil destined for refineries and ports for export have been stranded, along with propane used to run farm equipment to dry grains that would otherwise spoil.

In Montreal, where the workers and management are holding talks, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said he was “seized with the severity of this situation.” “It’s having a considerable economic impact on Canadians,” he said.

“This is not only an inconvenience but it’s also very stressful in many many cases, because CN is a major supplier of products across the entire country.” Garneau said he preferred collective bargaining to resolve the crisis over bringing lawmakers back early to pass laws ordering an end to the strike and imposing a settlement.

Parliament is due to be convened on December 5.

CIBC analyst Avery Shenfeld said economic growth was already forecast to plunge to 1.0 per cent in the fourth quarter, from 2.0pc over the previous three months.

“An extended strike risks seeing a near flattening in economic activity to finish the year, and hit an already-challenged goods sector,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2019