CN lays off 450 workers after shutting down Eastern Canada network

CN is temporarily laying off about 450 employees in its Eastern Canada operations after canceling more than 400 trains over the past week in response to protest blockades along its rail line, Canadian news media reported yesterday.

The layoffs will affect operational staff, including employees working at Autoport in Eastern Passage, Moncton, Charny and Montreal, according to news reports.

CN said the layoffs are "regrettable" because the blockades' impact on the economy and CN employees are unrelated to CN activities.

Last week, CN announced it initiated a "disciplined and progressive" shutdown of its operations in Eastern Canada until protest blockades on its lines are removed.

Protestors had set up the blockades across the country in a a show of solidarity for the Wet'suwet'en Nation, whose hereditary chiefs oppose the construction of a natural gas pipeline through northern British Columbia.