Canada's Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn says the federal government will introduce back-to-work legislation this week if talks fail to end the Canadian National Railway strike sooner.

The announcement comes as the minister has expressed confidence the legislation will be passed quickly in a bid to end the industrial action next week, according to a report by The Globe and Mail.

The prospects of resolving the dispute soon look promising given that a former union leader, who headed the strike, has called on members of the United Transportation Union to return to work within 48 hours.

Negotiations were reported to have been brought to a standstill earlier this month after union leaders demanded the railway award three-year contracts to staff that allow for pay rises of 4.5 per cent during the first two years and four per cent the third.