Schools, health establishments, CEGEPs and social services are once again affected by strikes, starting this Friday, while the Public Sector Common Front begins a sequence of seven days of strike.
The inter-union common front, which brings together the CSN, the CSQ, the APTS and the FTQ, or 420,000 workers, is walking off the job from December 8 to 14.
This is its third warning shot since the beginning of November, and the last before coming to the indefinite strike, if there is no agreement on the renewal of the collective agreements of here, he has already warned.
Essential services are provided in health and social services establishments, but not in schools and CEGEPs.
Starting next Monday, it will be the turn of the Interprofessional Health Federation (FIQ) to also walk off the job. The union organization, which represents 80,000 nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists, will be on strike until December 14 as well.
These two strikes affecting the health sector will lead to postponements of surgeries and various appointments.
These strikes by the common front and the FIQ are in addition to that of the 66,000 teachers of the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE), which began on November 23, and which has not been interrupted since.
Negotiations with the Quebec government continue despite everything, both at the central table and at the sectoral tables. The parties have said they hope to settle by the end of the year.
The president of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, tabled a new salary offer of 12.7% over five years on Wednesday, but the unions found it insufficient.
On Thursday, Prime Minister François Legault said he was ready to be more generous “monetarily”, but he demanded more flexibility in the application of collective agreements.