About 600,000 workers paralyzed public administration services on Tuesday to demand better salaries. The unions describe the increase proposal presented by the provincial government as “insulting.”
Tens of thousands of workers in public administration, education, health and social services took to the streets of Quebec on Tuesday to demand higher wages and better conditions, on the first day of a “historic” strike week in Canada.
In total, about 600,000 workers in the French-speaking province will go on strike this week, and some will go on an indefinite strike after months of fruitless negotiations with the regional government.
“The main obstacle is salary. We have a salary differential in public services (in relation to private services) that is increasing,” said Valérie Fontaine, president of the Federation of Higher Education Support Staff.
Among the crowd, many carried union flags and homemade signs. One of them said: “Inflation makes us poorer, and employers get richer.”
He added: “They are mocking us. They vote for a 30% increase for them. The representatives… offer 21% to the police… Teaching is generally a female profession and they offer 10%. Perhaps this is misogyny.” Fontaine.
Last month, unions rejected provincial government François Legault’s latest offer: a 10.3% salary increase over five years and a one-time bonus of C$1,000 (about $730). The unions considered the proposal “insulting.”
In various protest areas, many demonstrators also raised the issue of deteriorating working conditions in the public sector.
“Exhausted and overburdened” employees.
“We want more services for our students, more balanced classrooms… and fewer students in each class,” said Eric Lorioux, an elementary teacher.
“All staff are exhausted and exhausted,” said Regan Locklear, president of the Health and Social Services Union.
Since Tuesday and for three days, about 420,000 people, represented by the Union Common Front, have gone on strike. This is the second packing this month.
They will be joined on Thursday by 66,000 teachers from the Independent Education Union who will begin an indefinite general strike. For their part, about 80,000 nurses and health professionals will stop working on Thursday and Friday.
Sources: Agence France-Presse, Montreal Gazette, Le Journal de Montreal
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