A prolonged strike at Canadian National Railway Co., the country's largest railroad, sent further shocks through the economy on Monday with grain shipments scuttled and layoffs planned at fertilizer producers and an auto shipment terminal.

As Canada's biggest rail strike in a decade entered its seventh day, industry kept pressuring the government to intervene. Teamsters Canada, the union representing the 3,200 striking CN employees, said it was no closer to an agreement than when its members first hit picket lines.

Unifor labor union said 70 employees would be laid off effective Thursday at a Nova Scotia facility contracted by CN to handle vehicles shipped in and out of Canada.