Latest News
-
Air Canada resumes flights following directive ending strike
Air Canada will resume flights Sunday, after the Canadian Industrial Relations Board acted upon a directive by the country's Minister of Jobs Patty Hajdu. The board acted in response to a strike by cabin crew that had caused around 700 flights to be suspended daily. The CIRB ordered Air Canada to resume its operations, and all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge Flight Attendants to return to work by 2 p.m. The airline issued a press release stating that the time was 1800 GMT (1800 ET). The government issued the directive after moving on Saturday to end the strike, and to require binding arbitration in order to break an impasse contract. This was a move that the largest airline of the country had requested but which unionized flight attendants strongly opposed. After months of contract negotiations, Air Canada cabin staff walked out of the workplace on Saturday. This was the first time in 1985 that thousands of crew members had done so. The airline cancelled flights in anticipation of the strike, forcing over 100,000 passengers to find alternate travel arrangements or stay at home. Air Canada announced that flights would resume on Sunday night, but would continue to be cancelled over the next seven to ten days until the schedule is stabilized and returned back to normal.
-
Canadian government ends Air Canada strike and seeks binding arbitration
The Canadian government moved on Saturday to end the strike of Air Canada cabin staff by asking the labor board to order binding arbitral proceedings. This was a move that Canada's largest airline had requested and the striking flight attendants were opposed to. Air Canada had to cancel 700 flights per day due to a dispute over wages. This forced more than 100,000 passengers to either find alternate flights or stay in their homes. At a press conference, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said that she had requested the Canada Industrial Relations Board impose binding arbitrage on both sides in order to end the strike immediately. She said that Air Canada indicated it would be four to five working days before it resumed full operations. This is assuming that the board grants the government's requests, as it does in most cases. The carrier offered flight attendants a 38% total increase in compensation over four years with a 25% rise in the first year. However, the Canadian Union of Public Employees deemed this offer insufficient. Attendants receive payment only when the plane is in motion. The union wants compensation for the time spent waiting between flights or helping passengers board. Wesley Lesosky said at a Toronto press conference earlier that day that no bargaining sessions were scheduled between the two parties, who have been in negotiations on and off for months. Ahead of the busiest airport in Canada, Toronto Pearson International Airport, hundreds of cabin staff waved banners, flags and pickets. Union officials urged members to gather outside the major airports in Canada, including Toronto, Montreal Calgary and Vancouver. Air Canada, based in Montreal, said that the flights suspended included those operated by Air Canada Rouge, its budget-oriented subsidiary. In a press release, Air Canada said that the stoppage would impact about 130,000 passengers a day. Air Canada Jazz, PAL Airlines and regional affiliates will continue to operate their flights as normal. According to the union, Air Canada has offered to compensate flight attendants at 50% of their current hourly rate for work that they are not paid. Sources close to the talks said the union was seeking parity with the Canadian leisure airline Air Transat. The flight attendants of Air Transat approved a contract in 2013 that included a total compounded increase of 30% over five year, making them the highest-paid in the Canadian industry.
-
Air Canada cabin crew on strike, forcing hundreds of flights to be grounded
Air Canada's flight attendants, who are unionized, walked out of their jobs early Saturday morning as contract negotiations with the country's biggest carrier failed. This could cause travel disruptions for over 100,000 passengers. In a post on social media, the union that represents more than 10,000 Air Canada Flight Attendants confirmed the strike in an early morning posting. Currently, flight attendants are only paid for the time they spend on the plane. The union wanted to compensate them for the time spent waiting at the airport and helping passengers board. Air Canada, based in Montreal, said that it expected to cancel 500 flights by Friday's end during the busy summer travel period. Around 100,000 people were expected to be affected by the cancellations on Friday. As the airline gradually winds down its operations, flight attendants will likely picket major Canadian airports on Saturday, where passengers had already tried to secure new bookings in the previous week. Freddy Ramos (24), a passenger at Canada's biggest airport, Toronto, said that Air Canada had rebooked him to another destination after his flight earlier in the day was cancelled because of a labor dispute. He said that "probably 10 minutes before boarding our gate was changed, then cancelled, then delayed, and then again cancelled." Air Canada Rouge, its low-cost subsidiary, carries about 130,000 passengers per day. Air Canada has the most flights into the United States of any foreign carrier. Canadian businesses, reeling from an ongoing trade dispute with the United States, have urged the government to enforce binding arbitration for both sides. This would put an end to the strike. Air Canada asked the minority Liberal Government of Prime Minister Mark Carney, to order both parties into binding arbitration, despite the Canadian Union of Public Employees (which represents the attendants) saying it was against the move. According to the Canada Labour Code, the Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has the right to request that the Industrial Relations Board of Canada impose a binding arbitration to protect the economy. Hajdu has repeatedly called on the two sides to come back to the table. Air Canada has offered to compensate flight attendants at half their current hourly rate for work they are currently not paid. The carrier offered flight attendants a 38% total increase in compensation over four years with a 25% rise in the first year. However, the union deemed this offer insufficient. Analysts at financial services company TD Cowen urged on Friday that the carrier "extend an olive branch in order to end this impasse" and that investors were concerned that any labor cost savings would be outweighed by the loss of earnings during the airline's crucial quarter. The note stated that "We believe it is best for AC to reach labor peace." Not compromising on negotiations could be a Pyrrhic win.
-
Toronto stocks are down on Friday but close the week in green
Canada's main index of stocks closed flat on the day as investors closely watched a meeting between U.S. president Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible path for ending the conflict in Ukraine. Trump and Putin met in Alaska Friday afternoon. The markets are hoping that the meeting will pave the path for a solution to the Ukraine conflict, and help determine the outlook of crude prices. The Toronto Stock Exchange S&P/TSX Composite index fell 10.50 points or 0.04% to 27,905.49. The index rose 0.5% during the week. South of the Border The blue-chip Dow Jones index ended higher, after reaching an intraday high. However, other Wall Street indices fell as mixed data cloudsed the Federal Reserve’s next move in monetary policy. Bausch Health Companies, a sub-index of the TSX, rose 11%, boosting healthcare by 4%. Materials stocks rose by 0.8% while energy stocks declined by 0.2%. Michael Constantino CEO of Webull Canada said that short-term investors hope the meeting will bring a ceasefire, or at the very least have continuous talks. We're approaching the end of summer. Air Canada's flight attendants, who are unionized, threatened to strike shortly before 1:00 am. On Saturday, the largest airline in the country warned that it would cancel 500 flight by the end the day. The company's shares rose by about 0.6%. The data released on Friday shows that Canadian factory sales rose by 0.3% from May to June, with petroleum, coal, and food products leading the way. Wholesale trade also increased by 0.7%, thanks to gains in tobacco, food, and beverage. Retail sales in South America rose 0.5% as expected in July. However, a surge in import prices has raised fears that U.S. Tariffs will fuel inflation. (Reporting and editing by Nikhil Sharma, Nivedita Balu and Vijay Kishore; Margueritachoy and Vijay Kishore)
-
Sources: US considered using Russian icebreakers to develop gas ahead of summit
Three sources familiar with the matter said that the United States had discussed using Russian nuclear-powered vessels to support gas and LNG development projects in Alaska, as a possible deal to be aimed for when Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin this Friday. Trump arrived in Alaska Friday to attend what he described as a "high-stakes" meeting with Putin, the Russian president. The two men were expected to discuss a ceasefire agreement for Ukraine and an end to the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two. The U.S. president and the Russian president, who are meeting in the largest city of Alaska, at an air base from the Cold War era, both hope to achieve something during their first face-toface talks since Trump's return to the White House. One source said that the White House officials have discussed the icebreaker idea as a potential deal to try and strike with Russia during the Alaska Summit. Business deals have been discussed in the ongoing discussions between the U.S.A. and Russia about Ukraine. This approach is expected to be continued by the White House at the Friday summit, according to a source who spoke under anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions. The White House didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Officials from the Kremlin were not available to comment. The only nuclear-powered fleet in the world is operated by Russia. Its icebreakers play an important role in maintaining the Northern Sea Route as a strategic route for energy and trade flows around the globe. Trump's administration wants to move gas from Alaska to Asia. Trump pitched Alaska LNG to Asian buyers, as a $44 billion project that would ship liquefied gas from Alaska along an 800-mile pipeline, in order to reduce their dependency on Russian LNG. Qilak LNG is another project that is also aimed at Asian markets. It aims to produce 4 million tons of LNG per year. Mead Treadwell is a Qilak LNG co-founder. He said that it was not unusual for an American LNG project to depend on icebreakers from any country the U.S. Government allowed. Treadwell stated that "but we haven't asked for this". A source in the industry said that Alaska LNG has "no identified need for Russian icebreakers." It was not possible to determine immediately which specific project, if any would be benefited if an agreement was reached in Alaska negotiations. The nuclear icebreakers would also help transport construction materials to Alaska's remote areas, where weather conditions and infrastructure are difficult. (Reporting from Marwa Hirtenstein and Anna Hirtenstein, in London; Additional Reporting by Timothy Gardner, in Washington; Oksana Kobieva in Moscow; Editing done by Rosalba o'Brien.)
-
Sources: US considered using Russian icebreakers to develop gas ahead of summit
Three sources familiar with the matter said that the United States had discussed using Russian nuclear-powered vessels to support gas and LNG development projects in Alaska, as one possible deal to be aimed for when Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin this Friday. Trump arrived in Alaska Friday to attend what he described as a "high-stakes" meeting with Putin, the Russian president. The two men were expected to discuss a ceasefire agreement for Ukraine and an end to the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two. The U.S. president and the Russian president, who will meet in the largest city of Alaska, at an air base from the Cold War era, both hope to achieve something during their first face to face talks since Trump's return to the White House. One source said that the White House officials have discussed the icebreaker idea as a potential deal to try and strike with Russia during the Alaska Summit. Business deals have been discussed in the ongoing discussions between the U.S.A. and Russia about Ukraine. This approach is expected to be continued by the White House at the Friday summit, according to the source. The source spoke under condition of anonymity because the talks are sensitive. The White House didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Officials from the Kremlin were not available to comment. The only nuclear-powered fleet in the world is operated by Russia. Its icebreakers play an important role in maintaining the Northern Sea Route as a strategic route for energy and trade flows around the globe. Trump's administration wants to move gas from Alaska to Asia. Trump pitched Alaska LNG to Asian buyers, as a $44 billion project that would ship liquefied gas from Alaska along an 800-mile pipeline, in order to reduce their dependency on Russian LNG. Qilak LNG is another project that is also aimed at Asian markets. It aims to produce 4 million tons of LNG per year. Qilak didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. A source in the industry said that Alaska LNG has "no identified need for Russian icebreakers." It was not possible to determine immediately which specific project, if any would be benefited if an agreement was reached in Alaska negotiations. The nuclear icebreakers would also help transport construction materials to Alaska's remote areas, where weather conditions and infrastructure are difficult. (Reporting from Marwa Hirtenstein and Anna Hirtenstein, in London; Additional Reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington; Oksana Kobieva in Moscow; Editing done by Rosalba o'Brien.)
-
Via, a transit-tech company, revealed revenue gains in its US IPO application
Via Transportation reported a 27% increase in revenue in the first six months of 2025 in its U.S. Initial Public Offering paperwork. The company is advancing plans to list in New York, a listing it has long sought. The company reported a loss of $37.5 on revenues of $205.8 for the six-month period ended June 30. This is down from a loss of $50.4 on revenue of $162.6 a year ago. Via, a New York-based company founded in 2012 develops the technology behind public transportation systems in more than 30 different countries. Most of its revenues come from North America. The rest comes from Europe. Clients include municipalities, transit agencies and transport operators as well as school districts, corporations, universities and corporate clients. Via first IPOs can be filed confidentially in late 2021. The company was Valued at $3.5 billion 83North, a venture capital firm, is leading a funding round for 2023. Pitango and Exor are also major shareholders, as is the Italian family's investment company Agnelli. The U.S. IPO market has rebounded after a slight slowdown caused by volatility in April due to tariffs. The IPO market has been further energized by the successful debuts of a number of high-profile companies. Lead underwriters are Goldman Sachs Morgan Stanley Allen & Company and Wells Fargo Securities. The company intends to list its shares at the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker "VIA." The proceeds from the offering will go towards general corporate purposes including expanding into new markets, and increasing investment in sales and marketing. Navan, a travel-tech company. Confidentially filed For a New York IPO this year.
-
Namibian Port Authority cancels Luderitz Energy Support Project
Namibian Ports Authority's (Namport) Facebook page revealed on Friday that it had cancelled the pre-qualification bid for a new base of oil and gas supplies at Luderitz, just days after its launch and without any explanation. The cancellation of the contract is a major blow to the government's efforts to speed up the development of the Luderitz Port, one the two commercial ports that are located in Southern Africa and is an important centre for energy services. Namibia is a hotspot for exploration following the discoveries of Shell, TotalEnergies and Rhino Resources offshore. The country aims to produce its first oil by 2030, with Luderitz designated as the energy hub. Investors and operators are concerned about regulatory uncertainty, the lack of essential infrastructure, and a low-skilled workforce in the oil and gas industry. Namport has launched a prequalification tender for a concession involving the design, build, ownership, operation and transfer (DBOOT), of a new Luderitz Bay Oil and Gas Supply Base to support drilling campaigns within the Orange Basin. Namport's Facebook page stated: "Namport regrets informing interested parties that DBOOT has cancelled the concession bid for Luderitz Bay Oil and Gas Supply Base." Andrew Kanime, CEO of Namport, did not respond to calls or messages from the public seeking clarification. Luderitz Port, in the vast and arid far south, is planning to extend its quaywall by at least 300 meters to accommodate additional platform support vessels servicing the growing offshore oil and gas industry. Kanime had previously said that TotalEnergies operations are supported by Luderitz, while Shell and Galp's operations are supported by Walvis bay in the north of Namibia. He said that the berthing capacity in this physically constrained port was close to being full. (Reporting and editing by Wendell Roelf, Nyasha Nyaungwa)
Qantas fined 58 million dollars for illegally dismissing 1,800 employees during pandemic
Qantas Airways Australia's largest carrier was fined A$90m ($58.64m) on Monday for illegally firing 1,800 ground staff during the COVID-19 epidemic and replacing them with contractors.
Michael Lee, a Federal Court of Australia judge, said that he wanted to make sure the penalty "couldn't be viewed as anything like a cost of doing business".
In a summary judgement, Lee stated that "my current focus is to achieve real deterrence" (including deterrence of large public companies who might be tempted by the reward to continue with the contravening behavior because it may outweigh any downside risk from effective remedial actions).
He said that A$50million of the penalty will be paid to Transport Workers' Union who brought the case for the 1,820 employees fired by Qantas due to the pandemic.
This comes nine months after Qantas, the Union and the workers were sacked reached an agreement on a settlement of A$120 Million.
Qantas' shares fell 0.13% at the opening of trading. (1 Australian dollar = 1.5349 dollars) (Reporting and editing by Michael Perry in Sydney, Christine Chen reporting from Sydney)
(source: Reuters)