Air Canada has suspended its plans to restart operations after the union representing striking flight attendants defied the Canadian Industrial Relations board’s directive to return to work.

Federal jobs minister Patty Hajdu announced on the weekend that she was directing the CIRB to order striking workers back to work and send both sides to binding arbitration.

The airline announced that it was resuming operations Sunday, but last evening issued a release indicating that the plan to resume some 240 flights had been suspended after the union directed its members not to return to work.

Air Canada and its carriers typically operate 700 flights a day.

CUPE says flight attendants are expected to regularly perform unpaid work to keep flight operations going, and passengers safe.

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