With no new collective agreement in sight, the federal government has intervened in the four-week-old Canada Post strike by sending the dispute to the labour board which could order workers back next week.

Federal Labour Minister Steven Mackinnon announced the government is moving to end the nearly month-long Canada Post strike saying the Crown corporation and union were clearly at an impasse. Canada Post workers in Toronto reacted moments after the announcement.

The federal government is asking the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the country’s postal workers to return to work and to conduct an inquiry into why negotiations between the union and Canada Post reached an impasse.