This text is part of the special Syndicalism section
Since the founding of the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN) in 1921, the fight for the increase in the minimum wage has been at the heart of its priorities. This increase, which takes place every year on 1er May, is decided during the months of November and December. According to the new president of the CSN, Caroline Senneville, this file must remain one of the major priorities of the union world.
“The minimum wage is a very important indicator of the standard of living in the country,” says Mr.me Senneville. Many jobs are still under the umbrella of this salary. It is different in each Canadian province, because it is part of the provincial prerogatives, not the federal ones. In Quebec, the union coalition wants a minimum wage of $ 18 an hour to cover basic needs. It must allow people to live with dignity, and not in precariousness. This salary must be able to allow everyone to find accommodation, food, health care and to cope with the various hazards of life. “
In recent years, the number of people visiting food banks has increased significantly in the province. Among these, we see an increase in the number of students or employees. With the current minimum wage, it is not possible to meet daily expenses, and poverty is increasing. This is even more true in Montreal, where the cost of living is significantly higher than in the regions. The $ 18 an hour proposed by the CSN is also based on the cost of living in Montreal.
The minimum wage must be able to allow everyone to find accommodation, food, health care and to cope with the various hazards of life.
“The salary must allow single people to get out of precariousness,” continues Caroline Senneville. The economic autonomy of this part of the population must be maintained in order to reduce poverty. In 2016, we proposed an increase in the minimum wage to $ 15 spread over several years. The reaction was very strong on the part of the government and the employers, because they believed that employment would suffer, and that it would increase the unemployment rate. “
Attract new employees
However, this fear must be countered. In fact, for several years, Quebec has been facing an unprecedented labor shortage, even with the increase in base salary. Employment is therefore not subject to these successive increases feared by employers. In addition, when wages increase, the money injected is redistributed into the economy through consumption, which forms a virtuous circle, a concept dear to economist John Maynard Keynes. Finally, women would gain enormously from seeing the minimum wage increase decently.
“In society, two-thirds of the people earning the minimum wage are women. This message of fear, conveyed by both the government and employers, must therefore end as soon as possible. This exploitation of man by man is no longer tenable in our Western societies, underlines the president of the CSN. Single women in particular are the most fragile. Difficult to cope and live with dignity with such a low salary and a family to support. Politicians and employers must understand that an increase in the minimum wage will reduce social problems, health problems, etc., and therefore also absenteeism in companies. If the salary is higher, productivity will be greatly improved. “
The current context also appears ideal for sharply increasing wages. The labor shortage is very present, and new employees must be attracted. However, companies have a double talk. They find it difficult to hire, but do not necessarily want to increase the salary.
“The bosses ask the Quebec government to subsidize wages, but then complain about paying too much tax. It’s a bit like the dog biting its tail. On the other hand, fast food chains are increasing their minimum wage because they are in a labor shortage. So it benefits everyone. We must really question the economic model and the exploitation model of the population. Working full time and still being hungry is simply unbearable in Quebec society in 2021, ”concludes the President.