(Quebec) Quebec must quickly reach an agreement with public sector workers if it wants to avoid a “major social crisis,” says PQ MP for Jean-Talon Pascal Paradis.
Published yesterday at 3:46 p.m.
Caroline Plante The Canadian Press
He took part in a questioning on labor shortages with Labor Minister Kateri Champagne Jourdain at Salon Bleu on Friday.
Mr Paradis argued that it could be contained and that it was all a matter of political choice. He criticized the Legault government’s decision to cut taxes for 9.2 billion.
“The money is where the government puts it,” Mr. Paradis said. Quebecers say there is a labor shortage, particularly in the education sector. Fix it! »
The 420,000 members of the cross-union Common Front will hold a one-day strike next Monday. Nurses from the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) will leave their jobs on November 8th and 9th.
Unless there is an agreement with the government, the 65,000 teachers of the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) will launch an indefinite general strike on November 23rd.
” Are the [travailleurs] count enough to […] that we offer them the conditions they deserve in order to curb the problem of labor shortages? » asked Mr Paradis on Friday.
According to him, a “major social crisis” is brewing as half a million public servants will go on strike next week. “The ball is in the government’s court,” he emphasized.
Minister Champagne Jourdain, who is not responsible for negotiations with the public sector, responded that she would “convey the message” to her colleague, Treasury President Sonia LeBel.
The offer presented last Sunday was described by the unions as “clearly inadequate”.
Ms. LeBel is proposing a salary increase of 10.3% over five years, in addition to a lump sum of $1,000 in the first year.
PHOTO JACQUES BOISSINOT, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel
There is also a 3% amount reserved for “government priorities,” meaning the government values its offer at 14.8% over five years.
On Friday, Mr Paradis said he wanted to “debunk certain myths about the government’s offer”.
“Our civil servants are paid less than comparable people. The difference in total salary of Quebec workers compared to workers in companies with 200 or more employees is 9.4% in 2021.
“Compared to other federal and local employees, the gap is 27.5%,” emphasized the PQ MP.
Furthermore, “the government always says that supply averages 14.8%.” […] However, currently only 26% of affected employees will have differentiated offers of up to 14.8%.
“The truth is that 74% of affected workers will see a 10.3% increase. That means 2.06% per year below the inflation rate,” continued Mr. Paradis.
The government is proposing to “impoverish” public sector workers, which “neither attracts nor retains them,” he claims.
The united front is calling for a three-year contract, either the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 2% for the first year or $100 a week, whichever is most beneficial to workers.
The second year will then be claimed at CPI plus 3% and the third year at CPI plus 4%.
In a press briefing in Montreal on Friday afternoon, Prime Minister François Legault once again defended his government’s offer, which he described as “reasonable.”
“It’s true, it’s not the same increase for everyone,” he said. I think if we want to provide better services to Quebecers, we need to focus our gains on psychologists, for example. […] and night nurses,” he said.