The Canadian Pork Council and the Canadian Meat Council are calling on the Minister of Transport to give the same protection to perishable agriculture products as grain receives in the British Columbia port strike.
“We are seeking the Minister’s assistance to ensure perishable agricultural products, and farmers, do not suffer undue hardship from this labor action, and we believe a precedent already established for wheat is available to our agricultural industries,” said René Roy, chair of the Canadian Pork Council.
The British Columbia port strike action by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada is now into its eighth day. Based on available information, the Union and the Maritime Employers Association have suspended talks and are still some distance from reaching a negotiated settlement.
“We are calling on the government, through the Minister, to declare the shipment of perishable food products as an essential service due to their role in food security globally and in Canada,” Roy said.
“As representatives of Canada’s pork sector, we’re asking the Minister to exercise his power as minister to ensure these products continue to move through all Canadian ports.”
