The Urgences-Santé paramedics will increase, as of Monday, the pressure exerted on their employer, who categorically refuses to negotiate with the union concerning the work overload of its employees.
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The pre-hospital union (SP-CSN) deplores, among other things, the categorical refusal of Urgences-Santé to hear the arguments of its employees, despite the various possible solutions proposed. The overworked and exhausted paramedics ask, among other things, to be able to take their dinner break at the agreed time.
For paramedics, it is imperative that the meal break be taken at a convenient time, and not postponed due to work overload. Thus, from next Monday, the SP-CSN will ask the paramedics to take their dinner break at the scheduled time, in compliance with the collective agreement, in order to put pressure on Urgences-Santé.
“Instead of putting in place long-term solutions that respect our rights and our health, we are witnessing an intolerable abuse of the employer’s right of management which flouts our negotiated working conditions”, declared the president by acting SP-CSN, Claude Lamarche.
The union urges the Department of Health and Human Services to take action. More and more paramedics are choosing to redirect their careers due to poor working conditions, thus exacerbating the labor shortage.
“We all know, both the union and the employer, that overloaded paramedics mean longer delays in responding to calls. It also means an accumulation of risks for the health and safety of the paramedics themselves. It can’t last any longer,” said Mr. Lamarche.