Enya Jaime has been working as a clinical nurse for a year. After a very short assignment – barely three months – in the Public Health Network, she made the leap to a recruitment agency.
I have a lot more freedom to balance work and personal life, and most importantly, I have a salary that is significantly higher than what I had in public, especially for a new nurse, says Ms Jaime, who prefer to relocate or would change jobs rather than return to public service given current working conditions.
Quebec wants to end the use of private agencies and has embodied its will in Bill 10, presented Wednesday, which provides for the ban except in cases provided for by the government.
I have the impression that it can be abolished without finding a solution and without improving working conditions [dans le secteur] Public, adds Enya Jaime.
“Agency nurses are like the scapegoat. But I think we’re there to fill in the gaps that the public can’t fill themselves. »
— A quote from Enya Jaime, Clinician Nurse Agency
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resistance in the network
For the president of the Association of Private Companies of Caregivers of Quebec, Patrice Lapointe, Bill 10 could fuel chaos in the healthcare sector.
“For us, Bill 10 means 1,900 fewer nurses online, several thousand fewer employees at the agencies and unprecedented bloodletting. »
— A quote from Patrice Lapointe, President of the Association of Private Healthcare Personnel Companies of Quebec
Patrice Lapointe, President of the Association of Private Healthcare Personnel Companies of Quebec (file photo)
Photo: Radio Canada
Our employees are very clear, says Patrice Lapointe, specifying that 80% of its members do not want to rejoin the network even if the agencies were no longer present and that 70% of them would no longer be in the network without the agencies.
He believes Quebec is missing its target and that this isn’t the right approach to keep workers in the healthcare network.
Minister Dubé’s proposal did not convince the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) either. Its President, Julie Bouchard, deplores the deterioration in working conditions and the slow pace of negotiations.
“They left the network because the working conditions were terrible. »
— A quote from Julie Bouchard, President of the Quebec Interprofessional Health Federation
Minister Christian Dubé acknowledges that a culture change is needed and promises his health plan has already started to do so. To this end, the Minister of Health is once again inviting all those involved in the health network to take part in his discussion forums.
Based on Kim Vermette’s report