François Legault must stop being a “commentator” and an “observer” in negotiations with public sector employees and must become personally involved, argues the official opposition in Quebec, but several unions believe that such intervention by the Prime Minister at this stage of the discussions would be “premature”.
“I think it’s better to have fewer people on the ice at the moment,” said the first vice-president of the CSN, François Enault, when La Presse Canadienne asked him if he would be happy eye an intervention by the Prime Minister in the talks, like that requested by the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ).
Sunday morning, the PLQ made a public outing to ask Mr. Legault to enter “personally and directly” in communication with union representatives in order to speed up things in the renewal of the various collective agreements.
PHOTO JACQUES BOISSINOT, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
The interim leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, Marc Tanguay
It is the duty of the “Quebec head of state,” argued Mr. Tanguay.
“The fundamental responsibility of the Prime Minister is to be directly and personally involved. He can no longer be an observer and commentator, he must be an actor, he argued. The words, the weight of the Prime Minister of Quebec, that has its full impact, and we are here. We are there. »
The Liberal leader deplored the fact that the government has still not managed to reach an agreement with the unions which represent the approximately 600,000 state employees whose previous collective agreements expired last March.
Even though the unions had warned that the fall would be “hot”, due to the gap between their demands and Quebec’s offers, the government allowed the situation to drag on to the point where strikes are today affecting services. public, lamented Mr. Tanguay, who is now asking Mr. Legault to correct the situation.
“If Prime Minister Legault changes his approach, he has all the means to change the dynamic,” he said. Rather than telling workers: “It is not okay for you to be on strike,” if he called them and sat down with them, he could directly and personally have a dialogue, have communication, build a relationship of trust and being able, precisely, to bring them back. This is what we need. »
Reluctant unions
Asked about their openness to seeing such an intervention by the Prime Minister, the CSN, the CSQ and the APTS – which make up, with the FTQ, the common front in the current round of negotiations – all responded that it would be preferable if the government first gives more resources to its negotiators at the different tables.
“Personalizing the debate will not move things forward. The right place to advance negotiations is at the tables,” underlined the CSQ in a written statement.
Mr. Enault, of the CSN, added that intervention by the Prime Minister in the negotiations usually occurs much later in the process, when the parties are close to an agreement – which is not the case currently.
“We would never refuse a meeting with Mr. Legault, on the contrary, but I think that, at present, it is premature,” he said. The dialogue is there, we have the same objective of having a settlement before the holidays and everyone is working on that. »
In this sense, Mr. Enault noted that communication is still good with the President of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, even if the conduct of the various strikes could suggest the opposite.
“We don’t hear each other, but there is communication, and then the channel is there,” he said. I think that Mme LeBel is currently doing what she has to do. »
Discussions continue
After holding one- and three-day strikes in November, the common front announced that it will walk out for seven days from December 8 to 14. This will be the last step in its pressure tactics before launching an indefinite general strike if an agreement is not reached.
Meanwhile, the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE), which represents around 66,000 teachers, continues its indefinite general strike, while the Interprofessional Health Federation (FIQ) which represents 80,000 nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists, will be on strike from December 11 to 14.
Quebec said it was ready to improve its latest salary offer, which it presented as being worth 14.8% over five years on average by including an amount of $1,000 in the first year and differentiated offers, on the condition that the unions agree to give him more flexibility in the organization of work.
Without suggesting that the next common front strike could be avoided, Mr. Enault assured that serious conversations are still underway.
“We have sectoral tables that negotiated all weekend, the central table, we start again on Wednesday, given the constraints of meeting our people to give them reports on where we are currently,” he said. underlines.
“Afterwards, it is clear to us that it is full availability until the week of December 18, when we will meet again with our unions. »