In its salary counter-offer of around 25% over five years, the Common Front is demanding the equivalent of a retroactive salary increase of 6.7% for the year 2022.
This represents a “retro” of approximately $3.35 billion for the year 2022. Why is the Common Front asking for such a “retro”? To compensate for the salary shortfall that state employees suffered in 2022 due to inflation.
The problem? The year 2022 is part of the old collective agreement for public and parapublic service employees, which ended on March 31, 2023.
I understand that the high inflation occurring in 2022 has had a negative impact on the purchasing power of state employees. But this was the case for all Quebec employees, without exception.
I would like the Common Front to tell us, in the job market in Quebec, what proportion of Quebec employees, unionized and non-unionized, have managed to obtain from the year 2023 a “salary retrofit” of 6 .7% to compensate for inflation occurring in 2022.
- Listen to the economy segment with Michel Girard via QUB radio :
WHAT DO THE PEOPLE THINK?
Since the start of the conflict between the Legault government and the unions that represent them, the 600,000 state employees have benefited from the support of the vast majority of the population.
At this stage of the negotiations, it would be highly interesting to know the opinion of the population on this request for a retroactive salary increase of 6.7% for the year 2022, which year, I repeat, was part of the former collective agreement.
To pay for this request for a retroactive salary increase of 3.35 billion for the year 2022, this is equivalent to collecting 7.8% more personal tax from the pockets of Quebec taxpayers this year.
Another way of measuring the extent of the $3.35 billion “retro” that the Common Front is demanding for the year 2022: this represents twice the tax cut that the Legault government has granted to all taxpayers. in 2023.
THE QUESTION THAT KILLS
Dear Quebec taxpayers, would you accept that the Quebec government go back and raise the tax rate to pay this “retro 2022” to state employees?
Another solution for paying this “retro” to state employees: dear taxpayers, would you accept that the CAQ government increase the sales tax (QST) rate? Of how many? It would need to climb from 9.975% to 11.4%, or 1.4 percentage points more.
THAT SAID…
That the Common Front, the FAE, the FIQ are demanding, as part of the renewal of collective agreements for public and parapublic service employees, protection against inflation in addition to a level of enrichment… it is totally justified and justifiable.
Moreover, allow me to reiterate my proposal that an increase of 19.2% over five years would, in my opinion, be reasonable and defensible. This increase is equivalent to the nominal GDP growth outlook for the next five years, from 2023 to 2027.
But paying state employees a “retro” for 2022 is a no! And on this, the Legault government is right not to give in.