A strike by Port of Montreal longshoremen is resulting in a complete shutdown of cargo handling and docking service, the port said in a statement Monday, cited by Bloomberg. The general strike is affecting all terminals except liquid bulk handling, grain terminal and Oceanex service. On Sunday, the port said clients can expect delays in delivery “for the next few days and even weeks.”
The federal government has issued notice it is preparing back-to-work legislation if needed. Fertilizer Canada called on the Prime Minister and his government to immediately implement the legislation and work quickly to end the Port of Montreal strike and get fertilizer moving again. It said decisive action is needed to mitigate the impact of this strike on Canadian farmers, particularly those in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. It noted that hundreds of thousands of tons of fertilizer enter Canada through the Port of Montreal during the spring seeding season.