(Quebec) Members of the Interprofessional Health Federation of Quebec (FIQ) demonstrated their dissatisfaction on Saturday in the Old Capital, while there is still no agreement with the Quebec government for the renewal of the conventions collective of the majority of nurses in the public sector.
The president of the FIQ, Julie Bouchard, spoke at the gathering point in front of the National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec, shortly before noon, before starting a march to the National Assembly where the demonstrators wanted to hear their demands.
“The CAQ is not there when it comes to recognizing our expertise. But we are still here, ready to negotiate better working conditions in the next collective agreement, after all, that is the goal of a renegotiation,” said Ms.me Bouchard, by press release.
The FIQ represents more than 80,000 nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists working in health establishments in the province.
This large union was not part of the common inter-union front which represented 420,000 workers in the public health and education sectors, and of which the leaders of the CSN, the CSQ, the APTS and the FTQ are finally came to an agreement with the government of François Legault after the holidays. The final settlement hypotheses were approved by the members in February.
A month ago, the FIQ denounced Quebec’s requests for “flexibility”, which, according to it, hid the desire to carry out forced movements of nurses, who were reassigned, for example, from psychiatry to surgery.
The FIQ was then in conciliation and was not considering other strike days, as was the case in November and December.