The Retail Council of Canada is calling on the federal government to intervene in a postal strike it says is putting businesses and their workers in jeopardy.
The organization representing 54-thousand storefronts says the work stoppage at Canada Post is making it harder for retailers to meet customer needs and stay in business.
Council C-E-O Diane Brisebois says businesses use the postal service to ship orders to customers, distribute flyers and sometimes even request or obtain payments from vendors.
The labour action has been even more disruptive for retailers as it's the industry's busy season, when sales tend to be higher because the holidays are nearing and businesses are working to settle their books for the year.
Canada Post said Monday that it was waiting for the union representing 55-thousand workers off the job since last month to respond to a framework it presented over the weekend for reaching negotiated agreements.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers found that framework put Canada Post closer to the guild's position on some issues but "still remains far from something members could ratify."