François Legault must stop being a “commentator” and “observer” in negotiations with public sector employees and become personally involved, argues the official opposition in Quebec, but several unions believe that such an intervention by the Prime Minister at this stage of the Discussions if this were the case would be “premature”.
Updated yesterday at 5:05 p.m.
Mathieu Paquette The Canadian Press
“I think it is better at the moment to have fewer people on the ice,” said CSN first vice-president François Enault when La Presse Canadienne asked him if he would be happy to see the Prime Minister intervene in talks like them demanded by the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ).
On Sunday morning, the PLQ held a public outing to ask Mr. Legault to engage “personally and directly” with union representatives to speed up the renewal of the various collective agreements.
PHOTO JACQUES BOISSINOT, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVE
Quebec Liberal Party interim leader Marc Tanguay
It was the duty of the “head of state of Quebec,” Mr. Tanguay argued.
“The Prime Minister’s fundamental responsibility is to be directly and personally involved. He argued that he could no longer be an observer and commentator, he had to be an actor. The words, the weight of the Prime Minister of Quebec, that has its full effect, and we are here. We are there. »
The Liberal leader regretted that the government had still failed to reach an agreement with unions representing the approximately 600,000 public servants whose previous collective agreements expired last March.
Although unions had warned that the decline would be “hot” due to the gap between their demands and Quebec’s offers, the government allowed the situation to drag on to the point where strikes today are affecting public services, Mr lamented Tanguay, who now asks Mr. Legault to correct the situation.
“If Prime Minister Legault changes his approach, he has all the means to change the dynamic,” he said. Instead of telling workers, “It’s not okay for you to strike,” by calling them and sitting down with them, he could have a direct and personal dialogue, communicate, build a relationship of trust, and work precisely to bring them back . That’s what we need. »
Reticent unions
When asked about their openness to such an intervention by the Prime Minister, the CSN, the CSQ and the APTS – which together with the FTQ form the common front in the current round of negotiations – replied that it would be preferable if the government hired their negotiators initially more resources are available to the various tables.
“Personalizing the debate will not move things forward. The right place to advance negotiations is at the table,” the CSQ stressed in a written statement.
The CSN’s Mr Enault added that the Prime Minister’s intervention in negotiations usually comes much later in the process, when the parties are close to an agreement – which is not the case at the moment.
“On the contrary, we would never refuse a meeting with Mr. Legault, but I think it is premature at this point,” he said. The dialogue is there, we have the same goal of reaching an agreement before the holidays and everyone is working on it. »
In this sense, Mr. Enault noted that communication with the President of the Treasury, Sonia LeBel, is still good, even if the implementation of the various strikes might suggest the opposite.
“We don’t hear each other, but there is communication, and then the channel is there,” he said. I think Ms. LeBel is currently doing what she needs to do. »
The discussions continue
After one- and three-day strikes in November, the Joint Front announced it would walk out for seven days from December 8 to 14. This will be the final step in its pressure tactics before it launches an indefinite general strike if no agreement is reached.
Meanwhile, the Autonomous Federation for Education (FAE), representing around 66,000 teachers, continues its indefinite general strike, while the Interprofessional Health Federation (FIQ), representing 80,000 nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists, calls off the strike from 11 to 14 . December.
Quebec said it was prepared to improve its latest salary offer, which it said was worth an average of 14.8% over five years, by including an amount of $1,000 in the first year and more differentiated offers, on the condition that the unions agreed to give him more flexibility in work organization.
Without suggesting that the next joint front strike could be avoided, Mr. Enault assured that serious discussions were still underway.
“We have sectoral tables that have been negotiating all weekend, the central table, we start again on Wednesday, given the constraints of meeting our people to give them reports on where we currently stand,” he said. underlined.
“After that, it is clear to us that full availability will be given until the week of December 18th, when we will meet with our unions again. »