As the Canada Post strike drags into a fourth week, experts say there91裸聊视频檚 growing pressure on the government to act as the business community91裸聊视频檚 calls for intervention get louder.

So far Ottawa has said it won91裸聊视频檛 step in, despite forcing people back to work in other recent high-profile labour disputes. But it91裸聊视频檚 getting harder for it to stay on the sidelines, said Barry Eidlin, an associate professor of sociology at McGill University.

91裸聊视频淭he pressure is certainly mounting on them to bring an end to the strike,91裸聊视频� said Eidlin.

The government recently intervened in major disputes in ports and rail by directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order binding arbitration.

But Eidlin said one key difference with this dispute is that while the Canada Post strike is certainly top of mind for many Canadians especially business owners, it91裸聊视频檚 not nearly as economically damaging as prolonged stoppages at ports and railways would have been.

In decades past, a Canada Post strike would have had much more widespread consequences 91裸聊视频� particularly when most people received their pay via cheques, said Ian Lee, an associate professor at Carleton University91裸聊视频檚 Sprott School of Business.

91裸聊视频淚n the 91裸聊视频�60s through the 91裸聊视频�90s, the post office was absolutely essential,91裸聊视频� said Lee, who has studied Canada Post for several decades and previously worked at the Crown corporation.

Those who do rely on it, though, are 91裸聊视频渧ery, very dependent91裸聊视频� on it, he said.

Canada Post and the union representing more than 55,000 striking workers appeared closer to resuming negotiations Friday as the strike entered its fourth week.

Federal mediation was put on hold last week due to the sides being too far apart. This week the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said it sent new counter-proposals to the mediator in the hopes talks can resume, which Canada Post said it91裸聊视频檚 reviewing.

Calls for government intervention have been mounting from the business community, with groups like the Retail Council of Canada saying the strike is harming businesses more each day.

The government91裸聊视频檚 intervention in the port and rail disputes was controversial, and the unions involved in those disputes launched legal challenges in the wake of the government91裸聊视频檚 intervention.

The government may be feeling 91裸聊视频渟ome remorse91裸聊视频� about its use of this tool, said Eidlin, 91裸聊视频渁nd so they don91裸聊视频檛 want to just make this the default pattern.91裸聊视频�

Eidlin and others have warned that Ottawa91裸聊视频檚 use of section 107 set a dangerous precedent that undermined collective bargaining.

Another thing that differentiates this strike from the port and rail disputes is that Canada Post itself has not joined in on the calls for intervention, noted Eidlin. In the rail and port disputes, the employers were among the parties asking Ottawa to step in.

Eidlin and Lee think that91裸聊视频檚 because Canada Post doesn91裸聊视频檛 like its odds for binding arbitration.

91裸聊视频淚 think that they are assessing that it is unlikely that they will be able to get a favourable judgment in arbitration,91裸聊视频� Eidlin said, particularly when it comes to one of the biggest sticking points in negotiations so far: weekend delivery.

Canada Post has pitched weekend delivery as a way to increase its revenue and be more competitive. It says it wants to staff the weekend shifts with a mix of new permanent part-time positions and some full-time. But the union has accused Canada Post of trying to increase its part-time labour force instead of creating good full-time jobs.

Eidlin characterizes Canada Post91裸聊视频檚 pitch for weekend delivery as an attempt to create a second, lower tier of employment, and he thinks an arbitrator would be unlikely to grant it 91裸聊视频済iven the corrosive effect it would have on the workforce.91裸聊视频�

Lee said the issue is existential for both Canada Post and the union. The Crown corporation needs to change or continue circling the drain, but the union doesn91裸聊视频檛 want to give up its hard-fought gains, he said.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 no common ground. You can91裸聊视频檛 square the circle on this one,91裸聊视频� he said.

Over the years, government intervention in major labour disputes has been relatively common, said Eidlin, usually through back-to-work legislation. This is part of why business leaders are so quick to call for it, he said.

But there91裸聊视频檚 also pressure on Canada Post and the union, he added 91裸聊视频� and it seems to be working.

91裸聊视频淲e are seeing some movement at the negotiating table, which is exactly 91裸聊视频� how these negotiations are supposed to work,91裸聊视频� he said.

If the two sides reached an agreement without intervention, it would set a new and healthier precedent, Eidlin said.

But Lee thinks the government could soon step in soon if the two sides don91裸聊视频檛 move closer together.

91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檒l probably cave in, because they91裸聊视频檙e a minority government and they91裸聊视频檙e way down in the polls,91裸聊视频� he said.