CP is in a somewhat different position than a factory.
Wally at Widgets Inc is expected to make 100 widgets a day because that's how many they sell on average, over a year. On a slow sales week the excess goes into the warehouse to be on hand when sales boom.
Peter the Postie letter carrier is expected to deliver on average 100 units of mail per day. Can he warehouse anything in excess of 100 units?
If it's a slow week and he only has 60 units, can he take the rest of the day off with pay but work overtime free when it's a busy day?
A fair compromise is a blend of pay balances, including cheaper part time workers when needed. Part timers need to be vetted as well, throwing another variable into the blend. End user expectations coupled with market changes makes the subject a grenade with the pin pulled.
