Canadian postal workers protest as strike enters seventh day

By Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo

TORONTO (Reuters) -Canadian postal workers protested against government measures to overhaul the national postal service on Wednesday, nearly a week into a strike that has stopped mail delivery.

Just over 100 Canada Post employees gathered in downtown Toronto as part of a National Day of Action organized by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). The union is trying to negotiate a new contract and opposes proposed government budget cuts that include ending door-to-door delivery and closing some rural post offices.

Protesters said the changes are unfair to workers and to Canadians who rely on the system.

“We’re getting the shaft from both our corporation and the government,” said Graham Bulmer, a Canada Post employee of nearly 10 years. “They want to dismantle an institution that’s been the backbone of Canada for over 100 years. We can’t let them do that.”

Government-owned Canada Post faces deep financial trouble and officials say the cost cutting steps are necessary.

“The Postal Service is an essential service. We need a viable Postal Service. Currently the situation is difficult,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday. “Canada Post is losing millions of dollars. We need to take action. We need to restructure… It has been some time that we’ve needed to have changes at Canada Post.”

Denise, a letter carrier in Toronto, said the proposed closures would devastate rural and Indigenous communities. “Post offices are the hubs of those communities,” she said. “We protect our neighborhoods, we know the people, and we’re a critical part of their daily lives.”

Canada Post said on September 26, a day after the strike started, that it is reassessing new global offers to CUPW.

Union leaders say negotiations have stalled despite multiple exchanges of offers. Robbie Johal, a Toronto CUPW executive, said the union is still waiting for a “reasonable offer” from Canada Post.

(Reporting by Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo; Additional reporting by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Sergio Non)