Poverty and inflation “are of great concern” to the Quebec Federation of Labour, while there is also a labor shortage and a minimum wage of just over $14 an hour.
“Everyone should be able to afford fruit and vegetables. But when the price of the salad goes to $8, $9, $10, I’m not sure there are many people who can afford a salad, when you earn $15, $16 or $17 per hour”, launched the president of the FTQ, Daniel Boyer, during his traditional press conference at the start of the year.
Inflation doesn’t hit everyone equally, he said, referring to the presidents of large corporations who, as of early January, have already earned the average worker’s annual salary.
Something has to be done, he says. And it is not the one-time checks sent by the Government of Quebec that will solve the problem. The FTQ would prefer an increase in the minimum wage, an improvement in the solidarity tax credit and better access to housing, for example, or more structuring measures.
Quebec must soon announce the increase in the minimum wage which will come into effect on the 1er may. Currently, the minimum wage rate is $14.25 an hour and the FTQ is one of the organizations campaigning for it to reach at least $18 an hour.
“With current inflation at 7%, on [un salaire de] $14.25 an hour means $1 an hour. So if the Government of Quebec wants to prevent the poorest in society from continuing to become impoverished, it will take an increase of $1 an hour,” pleaded alongside him the secretary general of the FTQ, Denis Bolduc.
Solutions to the labor shortage
“The solution to the labor shortage is not just immigration,” said Mr. Boyer.
He argues for greater recognition of prior learning and skills, for example, as well as incentives to attract or retain experienced workers and other incentive measures to attract people with disabilities and aboriginals — categories of underemployed people .
However, he insists that the measures intended to retain experienced workers should be incentives, not compulsory. France is currently in the midst of a debate on the postponement of retirement from 62 to 64 years old in 2030, which has raised the ire of the unions, which are beginning a mobilization to oppose it.
“It is totally counterproductive to force, to force people to stay at work. I can’t wait for us to move forward with measures that will make it easier to stay at work, ”launched the president of the largest trade union center in Quebec.
And in this regard, employers still have a long way to go, he adds.
“A worker in a ‘shop’, when he’s been doing the same ‘job’ for 30, 35 years, it’s possible that when he’s going to be eligible for retirement, he’s no longer interested in doing the same “job” for one year, two years, three years, four more years. Can we look at what we can do: organize his work, organize his schedule, allow him to work part-time, perhaps do some mentoring to coach young people, something more interesting, which will make him say: I can still be useful and I’m tempted to continue? »