The provincewide lockout against a union of more than 700 foremen at all British Columbia ports is expected to begin at 8 a.m.

The BC Maritime Employers Association has said the lockout is meant to 鈥渇acilitate a safe and orderly wind-down of operations鈥� in light of 鈥渆scalating and unpredictable strike action.鈥�

Last week, it said the move was being done 鈥渄efensively鈥� after International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 had issued a 72-hour strike notice for job action, which also starts at 8 a.m.

The union has accused the association as 鈥渁cting recklessly鈥� by threatening the industry-wide lockout, saying it was an an 鈥渁ttempt to force the federal government to intervene in the dispute.鈥�

The employers association said in a statement Sunday that the final offer 鈥� which was issued to the union鈥檚 president on Wednesday 鈥� remained open and that if it were accepted by the union, it would avoid 鈥渦nnecessary strike action.鈥�

Union president Frank Morena said in a news release Sunday that the employers had threatened to remove existing parts of the collective agreement if the union did not accept its final offer.

鈥淟et me be crystal clear to the BCMEA: our union will not sign any contract which includes concessions that remove existing parts of our collective agreement that our members fought long and hard for over many years,鈥� Morena said.