Bonn, Germany (with files from Jim Wilson-HRD/DHL) – International shipping company DHL Express has shut down operations across Canada starting today amid a strike and lockout involving 2,100 truck drivers and other workers, according to a report.
The company announced it would halt parcel deliveries. “Due to the recent implementation of new labour legislation in Canada, DHL Express is not able to deploy replacement workers or other necessary contingency measures to mitigate the impact of labour action and maintain its high standard of service quality,” the company said, according to a Freight Waves report.
While not owned by Canada Post, DHL has a working agreement with the crown mail delivery.
The company has reportedly sent a letter to the federal government requesting a special exemption from the new rules, according to Unifor.
This request for an exemption to allow DHL to continue using replacement workers—or for federal intervention in the bargaining process—is “part of that broader effort to undermine the tools that workers rely on for fair and meaningful negotiations,” said the union.
From DHL – DHL Express shipping operations in Canada will be suspended effective Friday, June 20, 2025, at 0:00am EST. As a result, DHL Express will pause the collection of shipments destined to or dispatched from Canada as of Tuesday, June 17, at 9:00pm EST until further notice.
The services of DHL’s other business units in Canada – DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Supply Chain – as well as the inbound delivery of shipments for DHL eCommerce and Post & Parcel Germany are not impacted by this change.
The service suspension results from ongoing labor disruptions related to negotiations with the Unifor labor union, which represents a significant number of operational staff and owner operator drivers serving DHL Express customers in Canada. Due to the recent implementation of new labor legislation in Canada, DHL Express is not able to deploy replacement workers or other necessary contingency measures to mitigate the impact of labor action and maintain its high standard of service quality.
DHL Express will continue to engage constructively and in good faith with Unifor over a new collective agreement that provides fair compensation to team members while ensuring a sustainable, long-term foundation for the company’s operations in Canada. DHL’s priority is to reactivate normal service to and from Canada as soon as possible. Further updates will be shared as soon as relevant information becomes available.
