(Quebec) The Legault government has increased its salary increase offer to 600,000 state employees to 12.7% in five years. This is insufficient, immediately replied the common front, which maintains the launch of seven consecutive days of strike from Friday.
Quebec has decided to improve its previous proposal tabled on October 29 by 2.4 percentage points. The union leaders of the common front had described as “derisory” and “insulting” this proposal of 10.3% in five years which had been on the table until now. They consider that the government has not yet gone far enough with its new offer and will hold a press conference Thursday at 11 a.m. in Quebec. This is “insufficient”, we told The Press.
In its very first offer submitted a year ago, the government proposed 9% over the same period.
At 12.7%, the wage increases correspond to inflation forecasts for 2023 and the next four years, the government estimates.
In its new proposal, the share reserved for “differentiated offers” for certain categories of workers is revised downwards from 3% to 2.5%. It is used, among other things, to hire classroom assistants, to increase the remuneration of workers earning less than $52,000 and to add bonuses to fill unfavorable shifts in the health sector.
The lump sum of $1,000 for everyone in the first year remains intact, which represents a cost equivalent to 1.5% of payroll.
The overall offer would thus represent an increase of 16.7% in the payroll rather than the 14.8% announced in the previous proposal, if we take into account the calculation used by the government.
Quebec presented its new salary offer to the common front (CSN, FTQ, CSQ and APTS) then to the other unions (FAE, FIQ, SPGQ and SFPQ) on Wednesday afternoon.
“We are determined to resolve quickly and we invite the unions to move forward with us. Now, the work must continue at the tables,” said the president of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, in a written statement shortly after the employer filing.
A few minutes later, the common front reported that the new offer is insufficient.
“With current inflation forecasts being 18.1% for this same period, this offer will always have the effect of impoverishing public sector workers,” he maintains, taking into account the significant increase in costs. of life in 2022 unlike the government. “Without a clause guaranteeing the protection of purchasing power and enrichment allowing salary catch-up, it will not be possible to reach an agreement. »
The common front is demanding salary increases of around 23%* in three years, a request presented a year ago.
- 2023: Consumer price index (CPI) +2%
- 2024: CPI + 3%
- 2025: CPI + 4%
The common front is nevertheless delighted that the government has “withdrew its attacks on the pension plan”. It’s “a victory for workers,” he said.
Meeting in Laval, the FIQ union delegates rejected the government’s new offer by 99%. The strike planned for December 11 to 14 is maintained.
*This estimate is based on CPI data for 2022 and forecasts for 2023 and 2024 published in the government’s budget update