Quebec's largest nurses' union believes that François Legault's government is engaging in “blackmail” in negotiations to renew its collective agreement by linking the issue of salary to the issue of nurses' “flexibility.”
Posted at 4:27 p.m.
“The latest suggestions that the government has given us are: As long as we don’t open [question de la] Flexibility – travel obligation – salary offers remain at 12.7%,” explains the president of the Interprofessional Health Federation of Quebec (FIQ), Julie Bouchard, in an interview.
“For us it’s blackmail,” she says.
The issue of the free movement of care workers according to the employer's needs is at the heart of ongoing negotiations between Quebec and the province's main health workers' union. The FIQ represents approximately 85,000 nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists.
On Thursday, the union held a public outing to give a voice to nurses affected by the travel requirement.
Re(read) “The FIQ and Quebec are “very far” from an agreement”
On Sunday, the union reiterated its opposition to the government's vision in a press release.
“We have uncovered all possible problems related to the government-mandated travel requirement,” emphasizes Julie Bouchard in a press release. This shows all the respect that the Legault government gives to the women who control the health network from a distance. »
An opposing view
On the Quebec side, we maintain that these trips will not be mandatory.
“The government must ensure there are enough nursing staff available at all times and in the right places to adequately care for the population. “As part of these negotiations, we do not want to force nurses to travel, but instead offer a financial incentive for those who want to help their colleagues,” Treasury Board President Sonia said this week. LeBel.
During a joint press conference with Prime Minister François Legault on Sunday, Ms Lebel reiterated that she was still “very far” from reaching an agreement with the FIQ.
“An agreement is the meeting of two wills. It takes the will on both sides. “We showed we got along,” she commented.
For Julie Bouchard, the flexibility required by Quebec will not improve the working conditions of health professionals, the cornerstone of workforce retention. “This agreement must be a lever for the network to identify retired health professionals and find new ones,” she believes.
An arbitrator has been involved in the negotiations between the FIQ and Quebec since mid-December.
In collaboration with Léa Carrier, La Presse