USA rail strike threat: 'Will devastate economy' says President Joe Biden

The United States of America is staring a possible strike by railroad workers, which would "devastate the economy", according to Joe Biden. The US President said that without freight rail, "many US industries would shut down".

Biden made the comments while appealing to the US Congress to block the railroad strike. The threat of a rail worker strike has emerged amid negotiations over employment contracts.

Biden had helped broker deals ahead of the original strike deadline in September. While 8 rail unions have approved their 5-year deals with the railroads, 4 other unions have rejected the deals and are trying to negotiate new agreements. These 4 unions represent more than half of the 1.15 lakh workers in the sector.

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The US Congress can block the strike by using its powers to impose contract terms on the workers, but the provisions of the agreements are unclear. The Congress could also force negotiations to continue in 2023.

Joe Biden said that he is a "proud pro-labour President" and does not want to override workers not happy with the deal, but a railway "shutdown would hurt millions of other working people and families".