Nearly 80% of small enterprises rely on Canada Post to do business, according to federation
More than a week into the Canada Post strike, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says it is disappointed by the work stoppage’s impact on small businesses and it is urging Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) to quickly come to an agreement to avoid further disruption as the country heads into the holiday shopping season.
According to CFIB spokesperson Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, three quarters of Canada’s small firms say they stand to be negatively affected by the work stoppage, particularly with challenges to cash flow due to delayed invoices and cheques and higher cost delivery alternatives.
Small business suffering
The CFIB is urging Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) to quickly come to an agreement.
“While many Canadians may not depend on Canada Post as much as they once did, small businesses often rely on the postal system to ship goods, send marketing materials to consumers, send invoices and receive payments from suppliers and business customers,” the CFIB said in a statement.
“With the critical holiday shopping season around the corner and limited alternatives in many parts of Canada, avoiding a postal disruption is important,” the federation said.
They depend on Canada Post
According to a recent CFIB Flash Survey (Impact of Work Stoppages), a strong majority (79%) of small businesses rely on Canada Post services to do business.
Three quarters (75%) of small firms said they will be negatively affected by a work stoppage, particularly with challenges to cash flow due to delayed invoices and cheques and higher cost delivery alternatives.
The federation points out that small firms depend on a reliable postal service, and they need mail and parcel delivery service provided by Canada Post to remain fully operational.
“We’re asking both parties to negotiate in good faith and reach a quick resolution for the sake of Canadian small businesses and consumers,” the CFIB statement continued.
Back-to-work legislation
“And as the federal government has ignored almost every attempt by Canada Post to deal with its unwieldy cost structures, CFIB will call on government to use all its powers (including binding arbitration or back-to-work legislation) to keep the postal system working if negotiations are unsuccessful.”
In the online survey, which has been active since November 13, the number of respondents was 1,461. The CFIB says that for comparison purposes, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of at most +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20.
