Canada's Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ordered a resumption of operations at the Port of Montreal from Saturday morning, the port's employers association said, after the federal government stepped in and directed the labour board to end port disputes.

Longshoring activity at the Port of Montreal is set to grind to a halt as an employers’ group locks out 1,200 union members.

The dispute exacerbates the disruption to trade in Canada as a lockout at ports along the West Coast continues.

The longshore workers rejected the deal by a margin of 99.7 per cent. The Maritime Employers Association (MEA) followed through Sunday night on a pledge to lock out 1,200 longshore workers after those workers voted by a huge margin to reject a “final and comprehensive” contract offer from management.

Terminal operators and ocean carriers on Sunday locked out striking dockworkers at the Port of Montreal after the union said the contract proposal doesn’t address scheduling or automation concerns.

This lockout affects not only the 1,200 longshoremen directly impacted by the work stoppage, but it also impacts over 10,000 workers in the logistics sector, from trucking and railway employees to maritime agents and pilots.

If the lockout of dockworkers in Montreal persists, there will be "catastrophic" consequences for the Canadian economy, particularly in Quebec and Ontario, the local port authority warns. On Monday morning,