By MorinvilleNews.com Staff
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is expressing concern over the potential for a Canada Post work stoppage, which could severely impact small businesses just as the critical holiday shopping season approaches.
CFIB is calling on Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) to swiftly reach an agreement and avoid disruption. The business lobby group feels although many Canadians may no longer rely on Canada Post as much, small businesses continue to depend on its services for shipping goods, marketing materials, and handling invoices and payments.
A recent CFIB survey found that 79% of small businesses rely on Canada Post to operate. Three-quarters of these businesses reported that a postal disruption would negatively affect their operations, particularly through delayed invoices and payments, as well as higher delivery costs from alternative carriers. With the holiday shopping season approaching, small businesses are concerned about the potential consequences of a postal disruption.
“Small firms depend on a reliable postal service, and they need mail and parcel delivery service provided by Canada Post to remain fully operational. We’re asking both parties to negotiate in good faith and reach a quick resolution for the sake of Canadian small businesses and consumers. And as the federal government has ignored almost every attempt by Canada Post to deal with its unwieldy cost structures, CFIB will call on government to use all its powers (including binding arbitration or back-to-work legislation) to keep the postal system working if negotiations are unsuccessful,” said Corinne Pohlmann, Executive Vice-President, Advocacy, CFIB.
With alternatives limited in many regions, the CFIB stresses that resolving the dispute is crucial to safeguarding small businesses and ensuring a smooth holiday shopping season for Canadian consumers.
