OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada’s labor minister on Friday moved to end a near month-long strike by postal workers, saying he had asked Canada Industrial Relations Board to determine whether talks on a new deal between the union and Canada Post were at an impasse.

Steven MacKinnon told a press conference that if the board agreed there was no chance of progress, he would ask it to order Canada Post employees back to work and extend the existing contract until May 22, 2025.

“I am intervening today to make sure both parties have a solid foundation to resume negotiations and reach a mutual agreement as quickly as possible,” he said.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa, editing by David Ljunggren)