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About 55,000 postal workers went on strike Friday morning across Canada. The job action was a response to the intransigence of Canada Post management, which with the support of the union-backed Liberal government wants to impose major concessions on the workforce. These include below-inflation wage increases, more “flexible” working arrangements, and the use of new technologies to massively increase worker exploitation.

The strike continued only after months of Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) leadership stalled. Ultimately, Canada Post management’s defiant decision to respond to the union’s 72-hour strike notice by announcing its intention to repeal all contractual protections forced the union’s hand. With workers casting a 95 percent strike vote in October, CUPW bureaucrats feared they would lose control of the situation if they triggered anything less than a nationwide strike.

Talking to World Socialist Web Site reporters and members of the Postal Workers’ Rank and File Committee (PWRFC), the strikers denounced the ruthless practices of Canada Post management in its relentless drive to increase profits.

“Why I say this is crazy is because this scenario has been happening since 2011 over and over again,” said one striker from Alberta. “Why are we even talking about a contract when it is never honored by the corporation. Evidence of non-compliance with the contract is the enormous number of complaints filed each year. The number of complaints should be 10 times the amount, but most of us feel that the complaint process doesn’t work, so most of us don’t file. Brave people who make complaints are normally targeted.”

A Northern Ontario worker addressed the rising cost of living and denounced Canada Post’s opposition to a reasonable wage increase. “Although the strike is not favorable and I wish the corporation could compromise and meet our needs, it is absolutely necessary to go on strike to put pressure on them to meet our demands and let them know that we will not tolerate accepting less than what we deserve,” she said.

“I’ve been on the job for almost nine years, eight of which have been permanent full-time and I’m only making dollars above minimum wage.