“If the union leaders agreed to change their attitude, to get out of their logic of closure and come and discuss with us to change things, things would go faster. This is what Quebec Premier François Legault wrote in a sharp Facebook post on Saturday morning.
This intervention comes as the Quebec government is in the midst of negotiations with public sector unions, which represent more than 600,000 employees and whose collective agreements will expire on March 31. Workers in the health and education networks are particularly concerned.
Treasury Board President Sonia Lebel recently created discussion forums outside of regular bargaining sessions to discuss with unions. “Unfortunately, the unions do not want to come and sit together at the forums to discuss with us, denounces Mr. Legault. The union leaders are in a logic of closure and do not want to come and discuss otherwise to change things. »
For their part, the unions accuse the government of not being active enough at the negotiating table. “Our teams are ready, they have tabled very concrete proposals for solutions at each of the negotiation tables and have proposed several meeting dates, but the management party does not seem to want to be as available”, denounced representatives of the CSN. , the FTQ, the CSQ and the APTS in a joint press release published on February 16.
Mr. Legault, for his part, maintains that as long as the negotiations are not closed, it is the population who suffers, to whom he addresses himself directly in his message. “In the meantime, you are the ones waiting in the emergency room and the nurses working in difficult conditions. In the meantime, teachers are working in less than ideal conditions. […] I sincerely hope that the union leaders will quickly agree to be part of the solution. We are waiting for them. »
The government had tabled an offer on December 15, which had been refused outright by the unions. It included a total salary increase of 9% over five years as well as an additional 2.5% increase over the same period “so that the government can meet its priorities”. The government also offered a lump sum of $1,000 for the first year.
The Common Front of trade unions had rejected these offers, describing them as “starving”.