Canadian Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said on Tuesday he had directed the country's labor relations board to order an end to disputes at the ports of Vancouver and Montreal, citing the economic damage inflicted.

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

Canada ordered striking dock workers back to the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Montreal on Tuesday to clear out more than a week of container congestion bound for the United States and Canada.

Canada’s labor minister said Tuesday he is intervening to end lockouts of workers at the country’s two biggest ports.