Unable to deploy his flying teams as he had promised, Health Minister Christian Dubé deplores the slowness of his staff and the lack of flexibility of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN).
“I find that my teams take a little longer to look at CVs,” said Minister Dubé on Monday during a press scrum on the Côte-Nord.
The government says it has received between 500 and 600 resumes. vitae. Or “we only passed 150 in a month and I think we could go faster.”
Applications for the flying team are analyzed jointly by the ministry and the establishments (integrated health and social services centers or CISSS) from which the employees come.
Mr. Dubé believes that the CSN also has its share of responsibility for the delays of the flying teams. “Our union leaders need to be a little more flexible,” he said, challenging the president of the CSN, Caroline Senneville. “We must not try to resolve all the issues at the same time.”
Faced with a serious staff shortage since the agency reform, the Côte-Nord was promised a flying team of around forty people for June 20. However, nearly three weeks later, only one nurse has been added to the teams and according to our information, he is not part of the flying team as such.
Last week, the Health Ministry blamed the delays on other administrative issues. “People hired have certain personal and professional commitments to consider before they can start their new duties.” [aviser leur employeur actuel de leur départ et donner un préavis, leurs vacances prévues, etc.] ” he said.
One nurse per week from the CSN starting next week
The minister’s visit comes a few days after the Côte-Nord announced new service disruptions at the Baie-Comeau hospital. He took the opportunity to congratulate the staff on site. “There are people who work hard. […] I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank people.”
The CSN is denying that anything is being slowed down. “There is no union instruction that says we have to wait,” says Réjean Leclerc, president of the CSN’s Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux (FSSS). Even though the CSN and the government have not yet reached an agreement, workers can apply since it will be retroactive, he says.
Mr. Leclerc also reported that three nurses from the Sainte-Justine Hospital have volunteered to lend a hand to the Côte-Nord staff for one week each over the next three weeks.