The hundred positions cut at the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal are not austerity, maintains the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé. The mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, however, says she is concerned about these abolitions.
“To make the link with an austerity program or job cuts is completely inaccurate,” declared the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, after being questioned on Wednesday during the question period at the National Assembly. by the solidarity deputy Vincent Marissal.
The Press revealed Wednesday that 117 positions for auxiliary nurses and beneficiary attendants will be eliminated at the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal. The CIUSSS wishes to return to a “certain normality” after “extraordinary” expenses during the pandemic.
“We found ourselves, during the pandemic, increasing certain positions in certain departments,” indicates Mr. Dubé. Now, in hospitals or CHSLDs, “there is a surplus of staff at certain times during the week, certain days, and a shortage elsewhere. That, there, is reality. »
The CIUSSS is carrying out a reorganization of the service and hopes that people affected by the abolitions will choose other vacant positions within the organization. “The work that is being done, at the moment with our managers, is to rebalance these positions, it is not to cut positions,” declared the minister.
He added that there were discussions between managers and the union “to facilitate this rebalancing” and that “it did not work. »
Some employees, who testified to The Presshowever, are sad to lose their day position and fear having to reorient themselves towards another department or establishment offering evening or night positions.
“It concerns me. That concerns me. Because we, the city of Montreal, work a lot with the CIUSSS,” responded Mayor Valérie Plante during a press scrum on Wednesday.