One TikToker is facing backlash after being accused of mocking Canada Post workers currently on strike.
On November 15, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) announced that over 55,000 employees would be on strike, leaving Canadians and business owners in the lurch during the holiday shopping season. The strike has Canadians divided.
However, some netizens are criticizing TikToker @alkhussein for his approach in a viral three-minute video where he speaks to striking workers outside the Albert Jackson Processing Centre in Scarborough, Ontario.
“Reporting live, we’re outside the Post office where motherf**kers are protesting, ruining Christmas like the Grinch, holding the mail hostage,” he says.
He goes on to interview workers standing outside, introducing himself as a journalist, and when asked for an ID, he asks, “What are you? The police?”
The TikToker then explains to one employee that his passport is in the mail “hostage.”
“Can you just do me a favour, bro? Go inside, get my passport, and then keep protesting, but get my mail,” he says.
He then approaches another worker and asks her for a solution to the strike.
“Well, go to Ottawa. Tell CPC to sign the contract. Do you think we want to stand out here?” she asks. “People have families, people have kids, they have mortgages.”
The video currently has over 344,000 views in less than 24 hours. Watch the video below:
@alkhussein Canada Post Strike Outside HQ #fyp #canadapost #canada #toronto #strike #reportinglive ♬ original sound – YouTube: Alkhussein
Many saw the humour in the clip, with one user stating, “This is hilarious 😂😂😂 .”
However, others expressed their anger and frustration.
Someone stated, “@Canada Post Official, go back to work. Anyone would like your jobs. You ruined our kids’ Christmas with your protests!!! We should all get cheques in the mail for the extra $$ we had to spend on shipping.”
“They got my passport, my birth certificate, and my driver’s licence. It’s ridiculous. I hope they all get replaced with cheap labourers,” wrote one viewer.
As of November 19, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) said that about 85,000 passports that were printed and ready to be mailed were being held by Service Canada.
However, not everyone saw the humour in the short video.
One netizen compared him to notorious American live streamer Ramsey Khalid Ismael, otherwise known as Johnny Somali, who’s currently facing a prison sentence in Korea for offensive antics.
Check this out, some guy goes to a Canada Post facility to troll the postal workers that are on strike. This reminds me of #johnnysomali, the annoying live streamer.
Do you think this guy has no life and is looking for free clout? #CanadaPostStrike #cdnpoli #cdnpolitics #cupw… pic.twitter.com/tferpoGPSZ— TheRealRobbyLee (@theRealRobbyLee) December 11, 2024
Someone added, “This isn’t a good look for you. Shouldn’t mock people for trying to get a fair piece of the pie. These corporations are greedy.”
“Not funny. They are trying their best to get living wages, and if the world stops striking, corporations will overpower, control everything as they normally would,” stated another viewer.
Others commented that @alkhussein should be questioning the Canada Post CEO instead.
“If you want your mail, start applying pressure on the Canada Post CEO,” one person suggested.
One person stated that postal workers only make around $50 a day while on strike.
One viewer pointed out that @alkhussein would not have been in this situation had he chosen the standard passport pick-up option for $20.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.