As the Canada Post strike drags into a fourth week, experts say there香蕉视频直播檚 growing pressure on the government to act as the business community香蕉视频直播檚 calls for intervention get louder.

So far Ottawa has said it won香蕉视频直播檛 step in, despite forcing people back to work in other recent high-profile labour disputes. But it香蕉视频直播檚 getting harder for it to stay on the sidelines, said Barry Eidlin, an associate professor of sociology at McGill University.

香蕉视频直播淭he pressure is certainly mounting on them to bring an end to the strike,香蕉视频直播� said Eidlin.

The government recently intervened in major disputes in ports and rail by directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order binding arbitration.

But Eidlin said one key difference with this dispute is that while the Canada Post strike is certainly top of mind for many Canadians especially business owners, it香蕉视频直播檚 not nearly as economically damaging as prolonged stoppages at ports and railways would have been.

In decades past, a Canada Post strike would have had much more widespread consequences 香蕉视频直播� particularly when most people received their pay via cheques, said Ian Lee, an associate professor at Carleton University香蕉视频直播檚 Sprott School of Business.

香蕉视频直播淚n the 香蕉视频直播�60s through the 香蕉视频直播�90s, the post office was absolutely essential,香蕉视频直播� said Lee, who has studied Canada Post for several decades and previously worked at the Crown corporation.

Those who do rely on it, though, are 香蕉视频直播渧ery, very dependent香蕉视频直播� on it, he said.

Canada Post and the union representing more than 55,000 striking workers appeared closer to resuming negotiations Friday as the strike entered its fourth week.

Federal mediation was put on hold last week due to the sides being too far apart. This week the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said it sent new counter-proposals to the mediator in the hopes talks can resume, which Canada Post said it香蕉视频直播檚 reviewing.

Calls for government intervention have been mounting from the business community, with groups like the Retail Council of Canada saying the strike is harming businesses more each day.

The government香蕉视频直播檚 intervention in the port and rail disputes was controversial, and the unions involved in those disputes launched legal challenges in the wake of the government香蕉视频直播檚 intervention.

The government may be feeling 香蕉视频直播渟ome remorse香蕉视频直播� about its use of this tool, said Eidlin, 香蕉视频直播渁nd so they don香蕉视频直播檛 want to just make this the default pattern.香蕉视频直播�

Eidlin and others have warned that Ottawa香蕉视频直播檚 use of section 107 set a dangerous precedent that undermined collective bargaining.

Another thing that differentiates this strike from the port and rail disputes is that Canada Post itself has not joined in on the calls for intervention, noted Eidlin. In the rail and port disputes, the employers were among the parties asking Ottawa to step in.

Eidlin and Lee think that香蕉视频直播檚 because Canada Post doesn香蕉视频直播檛 like its odds for binding arbitration.

香蕉视频直播淚 think that they are assessing that it is unlikely that they will be able to get a favourable judgment in arbitration,香蕉视频直播� Eidlin said, particularly when it comes to one of the biggest sticking points in negotiations so far: weekend delivery.

Canada Post has pitched weekend delivery as a way to increase its revenue and be more competitive. It says it wants to staff the weekend shifts with a mix of new permanent part-time positions and some full-time. But the union has accused Canada Post of trying to increase its part-time labour force instead of creating good full-time jobs.

Eidlin characterizes Canada Post香蕉视频直播檚 pitch for weekend delivery as an attempt to create a second, lower tier of employment, and he thinks an arbitrator would be unlikely to grant it 香蕉视频直播済iven the corrosive effect it would have on the workforce.香蕉视频直播�

Lee said the issue is existential for both Canada Post and the union. The Crown corporation needs to change or continue circling the drain, but the union doesn香蕉视频直播檛 want to give up its hard-fought gains, he said.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 no common ground. You can香蕉视频直播檛 square the circle on this one,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Over the years, government intervention in major labour disputes has been relatively common, said Eidlin, usually through back-to-work legislation. This is part of why business leaders are so quick to call for it, he said.

But there香蕉视频直播檚 also pressure on Canada Post and the union, he added 香蕉视频直播� and it seems to be working.

香蕉视频直播淲e are seeing some movement at the negotiating table, which is exactly 香蕉视频直播� how these negotiations are supposed to work,香蕉视频直播� he said.

If the two sides reached an agreement without intervention, it would set a new and healthier precedent, Eidlin said.

But Lee thinks the government could soon step in soon if the two sides don香蕉视频直播檛 move closer together.

香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檒l probably cave in, because they香蕉视频直播檙e a minority government and they香蕉视频直播檙e way down in the polls,香蕉视频直播� he said.