Jobs minister urges Canada Post to table new offer to striking union

Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu is urging Canada Post to quickly table an offer to the union of striking postal workers.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers took to the picket lines Thursday after Ottawa announced sweeping changes to the Crown corporation's operations to address its troubled financial situation.

Those changes include ending daily mail delivery and moving almost all Canadian households to community mailboxes, moves the union calls a direct attack on workers.

In an interview today, Hajdu did not rule out federal intervention to end the latest strike but also said Canada Post needs to put a new offer on the table quickly and the union needs to consider any proposal seriously.

Hajdu says the onus is on the parties to come together after nearly two years of bargaining to chart a new course for the future of the postal service.

Canada Post was preparing to put a new offer on the table last week but is revising the proposal after the federal government's announcement.