Ottawa - Pressure is increasing in Ottawa today as the CP Rail strike enters its second day.

Industry leaders and politicians urged Labor Minister Seamus O'Regan to end the labor dispute after 3,000 engineers, train workers, and maintenance workers stopped working over the weekend.

Both the company and the union blamed each other for causing the work stoppage, although they also said they were still talking with federal mediators on Sunday.

Barry Pottle, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, says O'Regan should return to labor legislation immediately. He warns that the consequences for the supply chain — already damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty in Northern Europe — could be severe.

The House of Commons resumes today after a two-week break, so legislation could be issued immediately if the government chooses to do so.

But a spokeswoman for O'Regan said yesterday that the government believes a satisfactory deal will be reached at the negotiating table.