In its salary counteroffer of around 25% over five years, the Common Front is demanding a retroactive salary increase of 6.7% for 2022.
This represents a “retro” of approximately $3.35 billion for 2022. Why is the Common Front calling for such a “retro”? To compensate for the loss of salaries suffered by public servants in 2022 due to inflation.
The problem? The year 2022 is part of the old collective agreement for public and semi-public sector employees, which ended on March 31, 2023.
I understand that high inflation in 2022 has negatively impacted the purchasing power of public servants. However, this was the case for all employees in Quebec without exception.
I would like the Common Front to tell us in the Quebec labor market what percentage of Quebec's unionized and non-unionized workers have managed to receive a “salary retrofit” of 6.7% starting in 2023 to compensate for inflation in 2022.
- Listen to the economy part with Michel Girard above QUB radio :
WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK?
Since the beginning of the conflict between the Legault government and the unions that represent it, the 600,000 civil servants have benefited from the support of the vast majority of the population.
At this stage of the negotiations, it would be extremely interesting to know the opinion of the population on this request for a retroactive salary increase of 6.7% for 2022, which, I repeat, was part of the previous collective agreement.
To fund this request for a retroactive salary increase of 3.35 billion for 2022, this is equivalent to collecting 7.8% more personal tax from the pockets of Quebec taxpayers this year.
Another way to measure the magnitude of the $3.35 billion “retro” that the Common Front is demanding for 2022: This represents double the tax cut that the Legault government gave to all taxpayers in the year granted in 2023.
THE QUESTION THAT KILLS
Dear Quebec taxpayers, would you accept the Quebec government going back and increasing the tax rate to pay this “Retro 2022” to government employees?
Another solution to make this “retro” payment to public servants: Dear taxpayers, would you accept the CAQ government increasing the sales tax (QST) rate? Of how many? It would have to rise from 9.975% to 11.4% or 1.4 percentage points more.
THAT SAID…
The fact that the Common Front, the FAE and the FIQ are demanding inflation protection in addition to a certain amount of enrichment as part of the renewal of collective agreements for employees in the public and semi-public sector is completely justified and justifiable.
Allow me also to repeat my suggestion that, in my opinion, a 19.2% increase over five years would be reasonable and justifiable. This increase is in line with the nominal GDP growth forecast for the next five years, from 2023 to 2027.
But paying state employees a “retro” for 2022 is a no! And in this respect the Legault government is right not to back down.