If the salaries of school bus drivers are not increased, the start of the school year risks being “a nightmare for parents”, warned the Federation of Workers of Quebec on Saturday.
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Despite multiple appeals to the government and demonstrations, the school transport crisis does not seem to be in the process of being resolved, a few weeks before the start of the school year.
“Currently, the school bus workers we represent earn between $20,000 and $25,000 a year. It’s too little to attract people to the profession and retain them,” lamented the president of the Quebec Federation of Labor (FTQ), Daniel Boyer.
The FTQ demands that the Government of Quebec substantially improve the funding of school transportation.
“The start of the school year in several regions will be a nightmare for Quebec parents. This would be the worst scenario for these families already struggling with major economic turbulence,” he warned.
In mid-June, school vehicle drivers had demonstrated in front of the offices of their deputies across Quebec to demand that the government make significant investments to save student transportation.
While there would be no fewer than 1,500 drivers to ensure coverage of all regions of the province, the government’s proposals seemed insufficient for some of them who are considering not renewing their contract with school service centres.
The FTQ has been asking the government for more than 5 years to reinvest in this sector.
“The meteoric rise in inflation combined with the pandemic only worsens the problem of retention and recruitment in the industry, she denounced. The CAQ government’s recent offers of a 3.4% budget increase to school service centers are clearly insufficient to improve working conditions and better cover the costs inherent in operations in this sector.
“We must take the full measure of the crisis currently shaking school transportation and consider a substantial and rapid increase in public funding,” hammered the FTQ.